Agricultural Science Diplomacy and Innovation Systems: A Critical Bibliometric Analysis of Power, Epistemic Justice, and Technology Transfer (1975–2024)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Morteza Akbari 1
Vajihe Baghersad 2
Marziyeh Bakhtiari 3
Alireza Koohkan 4
Carlo Giglio 5
1 Faculty of Entrepreneurship, College of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
2 Department of Management and Accounting, Technical and Vocational University (TVU), Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
3 Department of Educational Management, Farhangian University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
4 Department of International Relations, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
5 Department of Mechanical, Energy and Management Engineering, University of Calabria, Rende, Italy.
Abstract
Science diplomacy is increasingly promoted as a mechanism for fostering international cooperation to address global challenges. However, most existing literature remains focused on normative and instrumental framings, leaving unexamined the unequal power relations, geopolitical biases, and epistemic exclusions that science diplomacy may reproduce within agricultural innovation systems. This study critically examines the conceptual evolution of science diplomacy through a mixed‑method design combining bibliometric analysis of 690 Web of Science documents (1975–2024) with grounded theory‑based qualitative analysis of 50 purposively selected documents. Bibliometric findings reveal four thematic clusters: (1) historical and institutional foundations, (2) international relations, resource governance, and agricultural policy, (3) operational challenges, and (4) environmental and agricultural governance. Qualitative analysis identifies three unresolved tensions relevant to agriculture and food systems: (a) whether science diplomacy should be evaluated by process (e.g., signed agreements) versus outcomes (e.g., technology transfer to smallholders); (b) who legitimately represents "agricultural science" in diplomatic negotiations—public researchers, agribusiness, or farmer organizations; and (c) how science diplomacy can avoid reproducing colonial patterns in seed systems, intellectual property regimes, and agricultural extension services. We conclude that science diplomacy is not a uniformly benign force but a contested arena where power, knowledge, and justice must be actively negotiated for equitable international agricultural cooperation. Our study contributes a novel tripartite analytical framework integrating power asymmetries, epistemic justice, and technology transfer, advancing both theoretical understanding and practical guidance for agricultural diplomacy.
Keywords
Agricultural innovation systems
Bibliometric analysis
Food security
Science diplomacy
Technology transfer
Subjects
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Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 13 September 2026