Analysing Research on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP): A Bibliometric Approach to Global Trends

Abstract

This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), using Scopus data to explore the chronological and thematic development of the topic from 1964 to 2024. GAP, established to guarantee food safety, environmental sustainability, and economic viability in agriculture, has achieved international acclaim. Nonetheless, investigations on the subject remain disjointed across agronomy, environmental science, and food safety. Good Agricultural Practices study is crucial in discussing global problems like climate change and food security. GAP is a framework to increase sustainable agricultural productivity, minimise the environmental implications, and make production systems resilient to the increasing global challenges. Through an analysis of the research trends, this study emphasises the critical importance of GAP in shaping a sustainable future for agriculture globally. This analysis utilises bibliometric tools like VOS Viewer and Biblioshiny to synthesise and visualise significant contributions to GAP research. 1,732 papers were examined to ascertain prominent authors, major nations, and significant topic trends. The findings indicate a growing emphasis on sustainable crop management, food safety regulations, and the incorporation of new technology like precision agriculture into Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and also show how most of the published evidence on the potential of GAP to help reduce waste in food processing is for developed regions whereas, in developing regions challenges such as limited access to financial resources, lack of knowledge dissemination, and poor infrastructure hamper the proper application of GAP. It's crucial to face these socio-economic challenges to ensure equitable and sustainable agricultural development worldwide. A notable study deficiency remains in investigations centered on developing regions where GAP might exert the most substantial influence. Moreover, socio-economic obstacles, especially those encountered by smallholder farmers in implementing GAP, remain little examined. The study underscores the necessity for more investigation into the long-term impacts of GAP, particularly concerning climate change and global food security. This analysis identifies research gaps and emerging trends, establishing a basis for future studies and policy measures to promote sustainable farming practices globally. There are some limitations, such as the dependency on the Scopus database. Therefore, all the related studies indexed in other databases would not be included. Moreover, the English-language publication bias may mean valuable research done in non-English speaking countries is obscure, leading to potentially neglected global patterns.