A Bibliometric Analysis of Global Research on Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer Subsidies (1994–2024)

This study presents a three-decade bibliometric analysis of global scholarly research on fertilizer subsidies, with particular attention to how organic and inorganic fertilizers are represented within the academic literature. Drawing on 278 peer-reviewed publications indexed between 1994 and 2024, the study maps the following: publication growth, thematic structures, and international collaboration networks. VOSviewer-based co-occurrence and factorial analyses reveal uneven thematic representation across fertilizer types, with studies explicitly focusing on inorganic fertilizers appearing more frequently than those addressing organic alternatives. More than half of the publications do not specify fertilizer categories, indicating limited thematic differentiation within the literature rather than definitive policy imbalance. Collaboration mapping identifies the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Indonesia as key hubs linking global research clusters and facilitating cross-regional scholarly exchange. Regional patterns in the literature highlight the importance of agroecological and socio-economic context in shaping research focus and analytical approaches, a point reflected in case-oriented studies from multiple regions. Overall, the findings underscore the fragmented yet evolving nature of fertilizer subsidy scholarship and point to opportunities for greater thematic integration and conceptual clarity in future research. By systematically mapping existing academic discourse, this study contributes a structured overview of the field and identifies directions for advancing interdisciplinary inquiry on fertilizer subsidies and sustainable agriculture.