Agroecology as a global trend: a bibliometric analysis of studies on agroecological practices in agriculture

The sustainability of modern agricultural production techniques is questioned due to reasons such as environmental pollution, loss of biodiversity and dependence on chemical inputs. Agroecological practices emerge as a significant solution to meet food needs with both cost-effective and environmentally friendly methods. Agroecology is a complex and comprehensive field. In the study, data obtained from 1907 studies on agroecology conducted between January 1987 and November 2024 in the Web of Science (WOS) database were analyzed using bibliometric analysis with various parameters. The most commonly encountered keywords in the literature related to this thematic area were selected as "agroecology," and "agroecological practices". These keywords provide a comprehensive opportunity to examine the ecological, economic, and agricultural dimensions of agroecology. Bibliometric analyses were conducted using the Bibliometrix package in the R statistical software. Bibliometric analysis revealed research trends, significant publications, and leading researchers in agroecological approaches. Researchers such as Alexander Wezel, Miguel A Altieri, and Stephane Bellon have made significant contributions to agroecology and agroecological practices, receiving high levels of citations for their work. The study identified countries such as the United States, France, and Brazil as leaders in agroecology research. Affiliations such as Montpellier University, Vermont University, and Calif Berkeley University were conducted pioneering research in agroecology and agroecological practices, making valuable contributions to the literature. The increase in research and application in agroecology could contribute to making agriculture more sustainable and global food systems more safe, equitable and environmentally friendly.