Risk Management Tools in the Agriculture Sector: an Updated Bibliometric Mapping Analysis

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of this paper is to analyse the latest research carried out to identify the risk management tools that farmers should possess to be effective and achieve success in their businesses. To this end, a review of the literature was conducted through the most relevant subjects, categories, countries, journals, and cited authors and articles, as well as visualising the interrelations through the co-occurrence of key terms. DESIGN/METHOD: A systematic review of the literature and a bibliometric mapping of the publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and Scopus was conducted using VOSviewer software. During the search process, 472 references from WoSCC and 704 from Scopus databases, for a search period from 2014 to 2023, were obtained. After a thorough reviewing process, the final number was 100 articles collected in 74 journals and written by 320 authors for WoSCC; and 136 articles, 90 journals and 435 authors for Scopus. RESULTS/FINDINGS: Our study indicates that farmers’ risk management requires the acquisition of knowledge of risk management tools, specifically differentiating between on-farm and off-farm instruments, and the training competences necessary for their implementation which are acquired both through their business management and others developed during the work in the crops, farming and agroindustry. Based on co-occurrence frequencies of key terms, several term maps provide visual representations of the latest research in the Agricultural Risk Management Tools (ARMT) and, more specifically, of the grouping around five main clusters, namely Strategy Decisions on Adaptation to Climate Change, Risk Impacts on Agricultural Production, Attitudes towards Risk Management Tools, Agricultural Policy and Risk Management, and Farms Management Systems and Models. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study contributes to the literature on risk management research and its findings may be useful for farmers, farm managers, agricultural cooperatives, researchers, and decision-makers in agricultural policy.