ArticleFoods (Basel, Switzerland)2026
From Sustainability Narratives to Digital Infrastructures: Mapping the Transformation of Smart Agri-Food Systems.
Article in Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The convergence of digital innovation and sustainability imperatives is transforming the architecture of agri-food systems, signaling not just a technological upgrade, but a reorganization of how food production, distribution, and governance are approached. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric mapping of global research on sustainable and digital agri-food systems between 2004 and 2025, based on data from the Web of Science Core Collection and analyzed using the Bibliometrix within RStudio (Version: 2024.12.1+563). Through co-word analysis, bibliographic coupling, and temporal trend exploration, the study identified a marked surge in scholarly activity after 2020, driven by the alignment of digital innovation with major policy frameworks such as the European Green Deal and the Farm-to-Fork Strategy. Findings highlight Europe-particularly Italy, the Netherlands, and France-as the leading knowledge hub, demonstrating both institutional capacity and policy responsiveness. Thematic clusters revealed four dominant trajectories in recent research: digital governance, blockchain and traceability, circular economy integration, and ESG-based performance frameworks. These directions suggest a transition from narrow efficiency-centered approaches to more comprehensive, ethically informed, and technologically integrated agri-food systems. The study frames digitalization as both a technical infrastructure and a socio-organizational driver that reshapes transparency, accountability, and coordination within food value chains. It also outlines strategic entry points for improving interoperability, bridging digital divides, and advancing collaborative governance models across the agri-food sector. In addition to its empirical findings, the article contributes methodologically by positioning bibliometric analysis as a valuable tool for tracking major conceptual and structural shifts within food system research. In conclusion, digital transformation in agri-food systems is not merely about technological enhancement-it is a fundamental restructuring of processes, relationships, and governance mechanisms that define how food systems operate in an era of innovation, complexity, and sustainability challenges.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.