Sustainability in the food sector: a bibliometric and network analysis of the literature

Abstract

The issue of sustainability in the food sector is gaining increasing interest. Although this issue is of considerable interest to researchers and practitioners, to our knowledge there is not yet a literature review which illustrates the areas of greatest interest. The aim of this paper is to explore the status of sustainability research in the food sector, identifying the most discussed research fronts. The methodology adopted to carry out this literature review is network analysis through bibliometric tools, which are very effective in identifying current and new issues of interest. Starting from a sample of 601 articles, through the use of bibliometric tools four major clusters of research are identified: food waste management, environmental impact, models for sustainable supply chain design and consumers' behaviour towards food sustainability. These results can help researchers and practitioners to understand trendsetting topics, to detect potential research gaps and to outline future research avenues.