Performance Analysis and Science Mapping of Agricultural Research Within the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework: A Bibliometric Analysis Using the Scopus Database
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Abstract
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established to eradicate poverty, achieve food security, promote sustainable agriculture, and develop resilient communities, making sustainable livelihoods a global priority. As a key livelihood sector, agriculture plays a central role in advancing these goals, particularly for vulnerable populations in the Global South. While agricultural sustainability has been widely studied through various lenses, there is growing interest in using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) to explore the complex interplay among social, economic, and environmental factors shaping rural livelihoods. This study contributes to the literature through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis that maps the evolution of agricultural research within the SLF. Drawing on 1,977 documents indexed in the Scopus database (1960–2023), it employs performance analysis to identify influential authors, institutions, countries, and journals. It further applies scientific mapping to trace thematic shifts and collaboration networks. The thematic analysis reveals that clusters such as livelihood–resilience–sustainability occupy a central position, indicating their role as the primary drivers of contemporary sustainable livelihood scholarship. In contrast, themes such as climate change, adaptation, vulnerability, sustainable livelihoods, and livelihood assets, particularly in lower-income contexts like Ghana, appear as basic yet underdeveloped, signaling critical research gaps. By identifying these uneven thematic trajectories, the study offers new theoretical insights into how the SLF has been operationalized in agricultural research and provides evidence-based guidance for policymakers and researchers seeking to strengthen livelihood resilience and sustainability in vulnerable agrarian contexts.
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