A Bibliometric Analysis of Food–Energy–Water Nexus: Progress and Prospects

Jing Zhu, Shenghong Kang, Wenwu Zhao, Qiujie Li, Xinyuan Xie and Xiangping Hu
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Jing Zhu: School of Humanities and Law, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
Shenghong Kang: School of Humanities and Law, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
Wenwu Zhao: State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Qiujie Li: School of Business Administration, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
Xinyuan Xie: School of Business Administration, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
Xiangping Hu: Industrial Ecology Program, Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway

Land, 2020, vol. 9, issue 12, 1-22

Abstract: Food, energy and water are important basic resources that affect the sustainable development of a region. The influence of food–energy–water (FEW) nexus on sustainable development has quickly become a frontier topic since the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were put forward. However, the overall context and core issues of the FEW nexus contributions to SDGs are still unclear. Using co-citation analysis, this paper aims to map the knowledge domains of FEW nexus research, disentangles its evolutionary context, and analyzes the core issues in its research, especially the progress of using quantitative simulation models to study the FEW nexus. We found that (1) studies within the FEW nexus focused on these following topics: correlation mechanisms, influencing factors, resource footprints, and sustainability management policies; (2) frontier of FEW studies have evolved from silo-oriented perspective on single resource system to nexus-oriented perspective on multiple systems; (3) quantitative research on the FEW nexus was primarily based on spatiotemporal evolution analysis, input–output analysis and scenario analysis; (4) the resource relationship among different sectors was synergies and tradeoffs within a region. In general, current research still focuses on empirical data, mostly qualitative and semiquantitative analyses, and there is a lack of research that can systematically reflect the temporal and spatial contribution of the FEW nexus to multiple SDGs. We believe that future research should focus more on how FEW nexus can provide mechanistic tools for achieving sustainable development.

Keywords: food–energy–water nexus; bibliometric analysis; knowledge domains mapping; synergies and tradeoffs; regional sustainable development; SDGs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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