[Objective]As a major ecological barrier core area and food production base in Northwest China, the carbon balance of food production in the Gansu section of the Yellow River Basin is of great significance to the sustainable development of the regional economy and the realisation of the goal of “double carbon”. [Methods] This study focuses on the Gansu section of the Yellow River Basin. Based on multiple data periods from 2000 to 2022, a carbon balance framework for the entire grain production cycle is constructed. The IPCC carbon conversion coefficient method, life cycle method, and empirical formula method are comprehensively used to measure the carbon balance level of grain production, reveal its spatiotemporal evolution law, and divide the carbon balance zones using a combination of dynamic and static methods. [Results] (1) Carbon emissions from grain production in the study area show a trend of “increasing first and then decreasing”, with 2015 as the turning point, and the overall carbon sequestration is increasing; (2) In terms of temporal evolution, the dynamic balance level shows a trend of “decreasing first and then increasing”, and its balance level can be significantly improved after 2015; The spatial and temporal evolution of the carbon balance level shows a trend of “decreasing first and then increasing”, and the spatial balance level is significantly improved after 2015. In terms of spatial pattern, there is a high degree of spatial differentiation in the static balance level of each region, and more than 80% of the regions will be in static balance by 2022; (3) The carbon balance zoning shows a distribution pattern of “high in the west and low in the east”, and the imbalance becomes the dominant type after 2015. [Conclusion] The overall carbon balance of food production in the basin shows a positive trend of improvement, reflecting the gradual improvement of regional governance, and in order to improve the carbon balance of food production, it is still necessary to further develop differentiated green production strategies for food.