GLOBAL RESEARCH TRENDS IN CASSAVA VALUE CHAIN, PROCESSING, AND VALUE ADDITION: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS AND SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a strategically important root crop that contributes significantly to food security, rural livelihoods, and industrial development in tropical and subtropical regions. Growing demand for processed cassava products and sustainable value chain development has stimulated substantial research on processing technologies, value addition, and commercialization. This study aimed to evaluate the global research landscape on cassava value chain, processing, and value addition through a combined bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the Scopus database following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework. After applying predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 70 peer-reviewed publications published between 2000 and 2026 were selected for analysis. Bibliometric mapping was performed using VOSviewer (version 1.6.20) to analyse co-authorship networks, country collaborations, keyword co-occurrence, citation patterns, bibliographic coupling, and co-citation relationships. The findings indicate a steady increase in scientific publications, reflecting the growing importance of cassava in sustainable agriculture and the global bioeconomy. Nigeria and Brazil emerged as the leading contributors, while keyword analysis identified food security, sustainability, processing technologies, cassava flour, starch, and value addition as the dominant research themes. The study also revealed expanding international collaboration and a strong intellectual foundation underpinning advances in cassava breeding, post-harvest management, processing, and industrial utilization. Despite considerable progress, challenges related to post-harvest losses, limited processing infrastructure, weak market integration, and technology adoption continue to constrain value chain development. Future research should prioritize sustainable processing innovations, digital value chains, circular bioeconomy approaches, value-added product diversification, and stronger international collaboration to enhance the competitiveness and sustainability of the global cassava sector.