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REVIEW article
Front. Sustain. Food Syst.
Sec. Climate-Smart Food Systems
Volume 9 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1499982
Performance and Conceptual Structure of Climate-Smart Agriculture Research: A Bibliometric Analysis (2010-2023
Provisionally accepted- 1 University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa
- 2 National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), Pretoria, South Africa
- 3 University of Limpopo, Sovenga, Limpopo, South Africa
- 4 University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) plays a crucial role in addressing the global impacts of climate change by integrating adaptation and mitigation strategies into agricultural practices. Despite its growing importance, a comprehensive analysis of the CSA research landscape is essential to understanding its development and key trends, informing future research and policy formulation. This study investigates the evolution and current state of CSA research from 2010 to 2023, with a focus on its conceptual structure and thematic development. Data sourced from the Scopus database were analysed using bibliometric techniques. The findings reveal an increasing volume of academic publications, indicating heightened global interest in CSA. The study uncovers strong interconnections among CSA practices, economic implications, sustainability, policy development, practical implementation, and regional adaptation. Notably, there has been a shift from foundational concepts to practical applications, reflecting the field's maturation in response to challenges in agricultural sustainability and climate change mitigation. However, significant gaps persist in exploring CSA's socio-economic dimensions and integrating diverse knowledge systems. Future research should prioritise the socioeconomic impacts of CSA practices on household income and food security, ensuring equitable implementation across regions. Additionally, targeted studies on technology adoption and greenhouse gas emissions mitigation are necessary. Emphasis should be placed on developing context-specific and culturally relevant strategies, analysing the global political economy's influence on CSA, and incorporating nuanced critiques of CSA's effectiveness. This study provides a valuable framework for future research, aiming to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of CSA in addressing global climate challenges.
Keywords: climate-smart agriculture (CSA), bibliometric analysis, Research trends, Thematic analysis, Climate Change
Received: 22 Sep 2024; Accepted: 31 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Manyike, Ningi, Mokhaukhau and Maka. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Jabulile Zamokuhle Manyike, University of Fort Hare, Alice, 5700, South Africa
Thulani Ningi, National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), Pretoria, South Africa
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