Knowledge Evolution in Agroecology in Mediterranean Areas: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

The loss of productivity of agri-food systems today is known, partly related to biodiversity loss. To reverse this situation, adopting sustainable agri-environmental practices has been proposed. However, there are not enough studies in the scientific literature to explain why in-depth transformations to sustainable agroecological models are not taking place at all scales and dimensions. Therefore, based on the number of publications and trend topics, this study aims to analyse the evolution of knowledge in “agroecology” and see if its development is linked to climate policies and. agreements. A survey of all the scientific articles collected on the Web of Science (WoS) between 1992 and 2022 by affiliated authors from France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Greece is carried out. For the analysis, a bibliometric analysis was performed (with R 3.6.2 (Biblioshiny package)). The first publications were observed in 1992. More than 95% of the publications took place in 2011. French research institutions led this trend, publishing 55% of the articles. The evolution of knowledge observed over the last few years has been linked to the transition towards sustainable agriculture through the study of agroecological practices, e.g., “agroforestry”, able to face different challenges related to loss of “biodiversity” and “climate change.