Spatial–Temporal Analysis of Value Network Approach Application in Food Production Sciences

Abstract

Despite the growing number of publications using the value network approach to analyze agro-industrial competitiveness, knowledge gaps persist in other food production sectors. The objective of this study is to analyze, through bibliometric techniques, the scientific articles that have studied the competitiveness of food products using the value network framework. The study will determine the spatial and temporal distribution of the identified food products and detect opportunities for generating new research. Articles from major publishing databases (Elsevier, Scopus, Frontiers, MDPI, and Springer) were considered. The keywords used were “red de valor” and “value network”, combined with “sustainable agricultural production” and “food security”. This information formed the basis of a spatial–temporal analysis and bibliometric indicators using descriptive statistics, as well as keyword and author networks generated with VOSviewer software. A total of 147 scientific articles were documented. The highest growth in publications occurred from 2017 to 2024 and was concentrated in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Studies in these regions analyzed basic food products such as maize, mango, rice, and coffee in Latin America; wine and bovine milk in Europe; and rice and sugar in Asia. Research in aquaculture, apiculture, and non-timber forest sectors was limited, positioning these areas as opportunities for generating new knowledge, particularly through the analysis of local resources to enhance their market positioning while incorporating sustainability aspects.