Scopus-based bibliometric mapping of climate resilience and food security research in sub-Saharan Africa from 2004 to 2025

Climate change poses a significant threat to food security throughout Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Although there has been a surge in research addressing climate resilience and food security, a dedicated bibliometric examination of the intellectual framework, collaboration patterns, and thematic developments in this domain remains limited. This bibliometric investigation charts the academic output regarding climate resilience and food security in SSA from 2004 to 2025, pinpointing key trends, collaboration networks, and conceptual advancements. We scrutinised 224 publications from the Scopus database using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix for performance evaluation, science mapping, and network visualisations. The domain shows remarkable growth (21.9% annual increase). The analysis uncovers a predominant yet unbalanced “hub-and-spoke” collaboration model, with the USA and UK acting as central hubs, alongside rising regional centres in Kenya and South Africa. A significant epistemological divide persists between “technicist” methods such as plant breeding and “systemic” methods such as smallholder adaptation), although convergence is beginning to emerge post-2023. Projected to reach maturity by around 2031, recent trends focus more on agroforestry and social aspects. Importantly, there exists a considerable gap between the geography of research collaboration and the areas experiencing the highest food vulnerability. This study presents the first detailed bibliometric map of this vital sector. It underscores the necessity for intentional strategies to cultivate deeper interdisciplinary integration, recalibrate research collaborations towards African leadership, and align scientific endeavours more closely with actual vulnerabilities to effectively bolster climate-resilient food systems in SSA.