Evolution of the BRICS Agricultural Product Trade Network: Evidence from Social Network and QAP Analyses

Amid mounting global food risks, the expansion of BRICS—an important multilateral platform for emerging markets and developing economies—has reshaped agricultural trade relations within BRICS, carrying profound implications for food security and sustainable agricultural development. This study aims to analyze the evolution of BRICS agricultural product trade networks to deliver empirical insights for coordinated agricultural governance among BRICS members. We adopt a social network analysis (SNA) and the quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) to examine BRICS agricultural product trade network characteristics and identify its driving factors. The results reveal that agricultural product trade within BRICS expanded markedly after BRICS enlargement, accompanied by declines in network density and reciprocity. Furthermore, nodes in this agricultural trade network show growing functional differentiation: Brazil serves as the core supply hub, China the primary demand hub, and Russia a vital connecting node. Community analysis indicates that the network has not evolved into closed geographic blocs; instead, cross-regional linkages give rise to a polycentric hierarchical structure. QAP estimates show that agricultural supply capacity dominated network configurations before enlargement, while food-security pressure and institutional distance exerted more pronounced impacts afterward. These findings provide empirical evidence and policy references for BRICS members to deepen agricultural trade cooperation, stabilize cross-border agricultural supply chains, and collectively safeguard food security.