A multidimensional analysis of global ginger Zingiber officinale production trade and the research impact gap

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), a globally significant rhizomatous crop, is highly valued for its edible rhizome, which serves as a crucial raw material across the medicinal, pharmaceutical, and food industries. Its versatile applications have generated substantial global research interest and economic activity. This study aimed to comprehensively analyse global ginger research trends over five decades (1973–2024) and assess concurrent worldwide production and trade dynamics. A dual methodology was employed, integrating a scientometric analysis of 6,064 Scopus-indexed publications with an economic review using 2023 production data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT) and trade data from The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC). The bibliometric analysis identified robust growth in research productivity, yielding 165,753 citations (averaging 27.3 per document) and an h-index of 35. India emerged as the most prolific research contributor (1116 papers), followed by China (846 papers) and the United States (542 papers). Economically, India led in production (2.20 million tonnes; 43.1% global share), while China dominated exports (US$588.11 million), with the Netherlands (US$163.85 million) and the United States (US$156.50 million) identified as the top two individual importers. A critical structural imbalance was observed: only two African countries (Egypt and Nigeria) featured among the top 15 research contributors, and 93.3% (14 of 15) of leading journals originated from developed nations, with no Africa-based journal present. The study concludes that high production volume does not consistently correlate with high research output or yield optimisation, particularly in the Global South. These findings underscore an urgent need to enhance research infrastructure, develop regional publishing platforms, and foster international collaboration, especially in Africa, to cultivate a more equitable and efficient global ginger research and development ecosystem.