Agroecology and public policies in global scientific literature: a bibliometric analysis

Agroecology has emerged as a multidimensional field in international scientific literature, whose expansion depends on the articulation of various factors, including public policy. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of scientific production at the intersection of agroecology and public policies, based on 779 publications indexed in the Web of Science between 2014 and 2023. Rigorous inclusion criteria were applied, and data were manually validated. We used VOSviewer and Bibliometrix® software to map co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence, geographic distribution, journals, and indicators such as the h-index and Bradford’s Law. The results reveal significant growth in publications between 2020 and 2023 (60.6%), underscoring the interdisciplinary nature of the field, which spans 52 areas, with a predominance in agrarian, environmental, and ecological sciences. Authors from 102 countries contributed to this body of work, with the United States, France, and Brazil being the most prominent contributors. However, collaborative networks remain largely confined to national or institutional clusters. Commonly recurring terms include “agroecology,” “sustainability,” and “food security,” while emerging terms such as “food systems” and “diversity” indicate evolving research approaches. Recent studies highlight how agroecological innovations are being incorporated into public policies to address climate and socio-environmental crises. Nonetheless, challenges remain, particularly in strengthening international cooperation to enhance the global impact of agroecology.