Global research trend of dairy milk production efficiency and environmental sustainability: A bibliometric and content analysis (2015–2025)

Dairy farming plays a vital role in global food security strategies, but the sector now faces dual pressures: meeting soaring consumer demand and mitigating environmental impacts, particularly greenhouse gas emissions. Amidst the tension between high productivity targets and ecological preservation, integrating technical efficiency with sustainability principles has become an urgent research priority. This study applies a systematic bibliometric approach to map the intellectual evolution and global research trends related to this topic. Through a structured search of the Scopus database with strict screening criteria, this study analyses a final dataset of 23 high-quality articles published between 2015 and 2025. Using VOSviewer network visualisation and the R Bibliometrix package, this analysis identified four dominant thematic clusters, namely socio-economic dynamics, production management systems, precision technology innovation, and environmental impact assessment. A crucial finding is a significant upward trend in publications after 2021 in response to the global climate agenda (Net-Zero), with Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) and genetic evaluation becoming the most dominant tools for efficiency measurement. Practically, especially for developing countries such as Indonesia, this study concludes that future research should combine three priority strategies: the formulation of low-emission local feed, the adoption of simple digital data recording technology, and the strengthening of cooperative institutions. The synergy of these three aspects is crucial to transforming the smallholder farming model to achieve robust economic efficiency without compromising environmental integrity.