Agri-Social entrepreneurship in transition: A bibliometric and thematic review (2000–2025)

This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric and thematic analysis of scholarly research on Agri-social entrepreneurship (ASE) from 2000 to 2025, to explore the evolution, maturity, and emerging directions of academic contributions in this field. Using VOSviewer software and papers from various scientific sources, the study uses network and overlay visualization techniques to depict the evolution of research during the past 25 years. Key patterns are highlighted in the report, such as the growing amount of scholarly production, the most influential authors, prestigious journals, well-known publishers, and the geographical distribution of research contributions. This review explicitly views ASE as the nexus of agricultural innovation and social value creation, in contrast to more general studies on social or agricultural entrepreneurship. PRISMA-compliant screening procedures and predetermined, repeatable search phrases were used to gather data from Scopus and Web of Science. VOSviewer (version 1.6.19) was used to analyze 535 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and review papers following quality screening. The results reveal that there are three main intellectual clusters: (1) agricultural innovation driven by sustainability and resilience; (2) hybrid social-business models in rural settings; and (3) support frameworks based on institutions and ecosystems. Individual entrepreneurial features (2000–2010), social inclusion and rural development (2011–2020), and youth-led, technology-enabled, and climate-resilient models (2021–2025) are clearly shown in the overlay visualization. In addition to offering guidance for future research, policy design, and practice, this study offers a unique conceptual and empirical mapping of ASE as a developing area. Differentiating the research environment of Agri-social entrepreneurship from more generic topics like general entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship is given particular focus, enabling a clearer understanding of its unique thematic and practical relevance. The study notes changes in the focus of research, from early studies of risk-taking and entrepreneurial characteristics to more contemporary issues, including resilience, sustainability, youth involvement, and socioeconomic impact in agriculture. This review provides useful insights for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners by charting the field's intellectual structure and thematic growth. In the quickly changing field of agricultural and social entrepreneurship, it assists in identifying important areas of study, new research hotspots, and possible directions for further research.