Challenges in mapping the digital landscape: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis of digital marketing in agriculture sector

Yuvasri; Selvam

doi:10.31893/multirev.2025300

Keywords:

digital technology

technology adoption

agricultural marketing

metaverse perspective

citation analysis

Abstract

This study uses bibliometric analysis to review and examine the prospects and obstacles of digital marketing in the agriculture sector, highlighting emerging trends and identifying key challenges. The data was collected from Scopus. Overall, 78 articles are considered for bibliometric analysis. The analysis encompasses a comprehensive review of academic publications, focusing on the adoption and impact of digital marketing tools such as social media, email marketing, and mobile applications. Findings reveal significant opportunities for expanding market reach, enhancing customer engagement, and increasing cost-effectiveness. However, the review also identifies substantial barriers, including the digital divide, resistance to technological adoption, and privacy concerns. To stimulate innovation and improve outcomes for farmers globally, the report emphasizes the need for continued research on the integration of these technologies in diverse agricultural contexts. This study underscores the importance of addressing these challenges through targeted education, improved infrastructure, and robust data protection measures. By providing a nuanced understanding of the current landscape, this review offers valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners aiming to leverage digital marketing for the growth and sustainability of the agriculture sector. According to the report, the integration of digital technology (adoption of digital tools by smallholder farmers), the impact of social media, and the consequences of digital marketing on the supply chains of agriculture are the primary topics discussed. The review highlights the significance of present challenges to fully utilize the advantages of digital marketing and promote long-lasting growth in the agriculture sector. This study thoroughly comprehends the changing digital marketing trends in agriculture by analyzing existing literature. It also highlights potential areas for future research.
References
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2. Alkahtani, M., Khalid, Q. S., Jalees, M., Omair, M., Hussain, G., & Pruncu, C. I. (2021). E-agricultural supply chain management coupled with blockchain effect and cooperative strategies. Sustainability, 13(2), 816.
3. Arora, S. D., & Chakraborty, A. (2020). Intellectual structure of consumer complaining behavior (CCB) research: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Business Research, 122, 60–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.08.043
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6. Gazolla, M., & Aquino, J. R. D. (2022). Reinvention of family farming markets in Brazil: The novelty of digital marketing sites and platforms in times of COVID-19. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 46(6), 902–927.
7. Giannakopoulos, N. T., Terzi, M. C., Sakas, D. P., Kanellos, N., Toudas, K. S., & Migkos, S. P. (2024). Agroeconomic indexes and big data: Digital marketing analytics implications for enhanced decision making with artificial intelligence-based modeling. Information, 15(2), 67.
8. Gundolf, K., & Filser, M. (2013). Management research and religion: A citation analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 112, 177–185.
9. Kitole, F. A., Mkuna, E., & Sesabo, J. K. (2023). Digitalization and agricultural transformation in developing countries: Empirical evidence from Tanzania agriculture sector. Smart Agricultural Technology, 7, 100379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2023.100379
10. Kitole, F., Lihawa, R., Sesabo, J., & Shitima, C. (2023). The dynamism of communication technology adoption, market information and welfare: Evidence from Nile perch (Lates niloticus) fish market, Mwanza, Tanzania. Lakes & Reservoirs: Research & Management, 28(1), e12433.
11. Maina, F., Mburu, J., & Nyang’anga, H. (2024). Drivers of extent of commercialization of potato farming through digital marketing platforms in Nakuru County, Kenya. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1307978
12. Manigandan, R., & Raghuram, J. N. V. (2024). Bridging the gap: The mediating effect of cloud-based ERP adoption intention on entrepreneurial orientation and marketing performance in South Indian SMEs. International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development, 23(1), 26–50. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijmed.2024.138428
13. Manigandan, R., & Raghuram, N. V. (2022). Artificial intelligence (AI) in hotel industry and future development: An extensive in-depth literature review and bibliometric analysis. International Journal of Intelligent Systems and Applications in Engineering, 10(4), 664–676.
14. Marinko, R. A. (1998). Citations to women's studies journals in dissertations, 1989 and 1994. The Serials Librarian, 35(1-2), 29–44.
15. Mehar, M., Mittal, S., & Prasad, N. (2016). Farmers coping strategies for climate shock: Is it differentiated by gender? Journal of Rural Studies, 44, 123–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.01.001
16. Misra, N. N., Koubaa, M., Roohinejad, S., Juliano, P., Alpas, H., Inácio, R. S., ... & Barba, F. J. (2017). Landmarks in the historical development of twenty first century food processing technologies. Food Research International, 97, 318–339.
17. Mittal, S., & Mehar, M. (2015). Socio-economic factors affecting adoption of modern information and communication technology by farmers in India: Analysis using multivariate Probit model. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 22(2), 199–212. https://doi.org/10.1080/1389224x.2014.997255
18. Most, F., Conejo, F. J., & Cunningham, L. F. (2018). Bridging past and present entrepreneurial marketing research. Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, 20(2), 229–251. https://doi.org/10.1108/jrme-11-2017-0049
19. Nerur, S. P., Rasheed, A. A., & Natarajan, V. (2008). The intellectual structure of the strategic management field: An author co-citation analysis. Strategic Management Journal, 29(3), 319–336.
20. Ravi, S., & Rajasekaran, S. R. C. (2023). A perspective of digital marketing in rural areas: A literature review. International Journal of Professional Business Review, 8(4), e01388. https://doi.org/10.26668/businessreview/2023.v8i4.1388
21. Rejeb, A., Abdollahi, A., Rejeb, K., & Treiblmaier, H. (2022). Drones in agriculture: A review and bibliometric analysis. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 198, 107017.
22. Rejeb, A., Keogh, J. G., & Treiblmaier, H. (2020). How blockchain technology can benefit marketing: Six pending research areas. Frontiers in Blockchain, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2020.00003
23. Rejeb, A., Rejeb, K., Simske, S. J., & Keogh, J. G. (2021). Blockchain technology in the smart city: A bibliometric review. Quality & Quantity, 1-32.
24. Ruel, S., Baz, J. E., Ivanov, D., & Das, A. (2021). Supply chain viability: Conceptualization, measurement, and nomological validation. Annals of Operations Research, 335(3), 1107–1136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-021-03974-9
25. Sadoine, M. L., Zinszer, K., Liu, Y., Gachon, P., Fournier, M., Dueymes, G., Dorsey, G., Llerena, A., Namuganga, J. F., Nasri, B., & Smargiassi, A. (2024). Predicting malaria risk considering vector control interventions under climate change scenarios. Scientific Reports, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52724-x
26. Shakhovskoy, M., Saab, W., Colina, C., Kline, S., Guzman, J. J., Hook, M. C., ... & O’Conor, M. (2021). Agricultural “platforms” in a digital era: Defining the landscape. ISF Advisors. Recuperado em 7 de março de 2023.
27. Sharma, R., Kumar, A., & Ramakrishnan, R. S. (2021). Role of computational biology in sustainable development of agriculture. In Springer eBooks (pp. 53–69). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4791-5_3
28. Sheeraz, M., Sajid, M., Mehmood, Y., Irfan, M., & Tahir, I. (2023). Brand awareness and digital marketing: Measurement tools and data analytics for agricultural industry. Journal of Arable Crops and Marketing, 5(2), 37–50. https://doi.org/10.33687/jacm.005.01.5047
29. Singh, S., Singh, G., & Dhir, S. (2022). Impact of digital marketing on the competitiveness of the restaurant industry. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 27(2), 109–137. https://doi.org/10.1080/15378020.2022.2077088
30. Sridhar, A., Balakrishnan, A., Jacob, M. M., Sillanpää, M., & Dayanandan, N. (2022). Global impact of COVID-19 on agriculture: Role of sustainable agriculture and digital farming. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(15), 42509–42525. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19358-w
31. Srivastava, G. (2022). Antecedents of E-marketing of agriculture products in this digital era. International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction, 18(7), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijthi.306228
32. Ugochukwu, A. I., & Phillips, P. W. (2018). Technology adoption by agricultural producers: A review of the literature. In From agriscience to agribusiness: Theories, policies and practices in technology transfer and commercialization (pp. 361–377).
33. Ward, J. C., & Ostrom, A. L. (2006). Complaining to the masses: The role of protest framing in customer-created complaint web sites. Journal of Consumer Research, 33(2), 220–230.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to cite

Yuvasri, & Selvam. (2025). Challenges in mapping the digital landscape: A comprehensive bibliometric analysis of digital marketing in agriculture sector . Multidisciplinary Reviews, 8(11), 2025300. https://doi.org/10.31893/multirev.2025300

[1] Abdulai, A. R. (2022). A new green revolution (GR) or neoliberal entrenchment in agri-food systems? Exploring narratives around digital agriculture (DA), food systems, and development in sub-sahara africa. The Journal of Development Studies, 58(8), 1588–1604.

[2] Alkahtani, M., Khalid, Q. S., Jalees, M., Omair, M., Hussain, G., & Pruncu, C. I. (2021). E-agricultural supply chain management coupled with blockchain effect and cooperative strategies. Sustainability, 13(2), 816.

[3] Arora, S. D., & Chakraborty, A. (2020). Intellectual structure of consumer complaining behavior (CCB) research: A bibliometric analysis. Journal of Business Research, 122, 60–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.08.043

[4] Baldi, S. (1998). Normative versus social constructivist processes in the allocation of citations: A network-analytic model. American Sociological Review, 63(5), 829–846.

[5] Derviş, H. (2019). Bibliometric analysis using bibliometrix an R package. Journal of Scientometric Research, 8(3), 156–160.

[6] Gazolla, M., & Aquino, J. R. D. (2022). Reinvention of family farming markets in Brazil: The novelty of digital marketing sites and platforms in times of COVID-19. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 46(6), 902–927.

[7] Giannakopoulos, N. T., Terzi, M. C., Sakas, D. P., Kanellos, N., Toudas, K. S., & Migkos, S. P. (2024). Agroeconomic indexes and big data: Digital marketing analytics implications for enhanced decision making with artificial intelligence-based modeling. Information, 15(2), 67.

[8] Gundolf, K., & Filser, M. (2013). Management research and religion: A citation analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 112, 177–185.

[9] Kitole, F. A., Mkuna, E., & Sesabo, J. K. (2023). Digitalization and agricultural transformation in developing countries: Empirical evidence from Tanzania agriculture sector. Smart Agricultural Technology, 7, 100379. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2023.100379

[10] Kitole, F., Lihawa, R., Sesabo, J., & Shitima, C. (2023). The dynamism of communication technology adoption, market information and welfare: Evidence from Nile perch (Lates niloticus) fish market, Mwanza, Tanzania. Lakes & Reservoirs: Research & Management, 28(1), e12433.

[11] Maina, F., Mburu, J., & Nyang’anga, H. (2024). Drivers of extent of commercialization of potato farming through digital marketing platforms in Nakuru County, Kenya. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1307978

[12] Manigandan, R., & Raghuram, J. N. V. (2024). Bridging the gap: The mediating effect of cloud-based ERP adoption intention on entrepreneurial orientation and marketing performance in South Indian SMEs. International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development, 23(1), 26–50. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijmed.2024.138428

[13] Manigandan, R., & Raghuram, N. V. (2022). Artificial intelligence (AI) in hotel industry and future development: An extensive in-depth literature review and bibliometric analysis. International Journal of Intelligent Systems and Applications in Engineering, 10(4), 664–676.

[14] Marinko, R. A. (1998). Citations to women's studies journals in dissertations, 1989 and 1994. The Serials Librarian, 35(1-2), 29–44.

[15] Mehar, M., Mittal, S., & Prasad, N. (2016). Farmers coping strategies for climate shock: Is it differentiated by gender? Journal of Rural Studies, 44, 123–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.01.001

[16] Misra, N. N., Koubaa, M., Roohinejad, S., Juliano, P., Alpas, H., Inácio, R. S., ... & Barba, F. J. (2017). Landmarks in the historical development of twenty first century food processing technologies. Food Research International, 97, 318–339.

[17] Mittal, S., & Mehar, M. (2015). Socio-economic factors affecting adoption of modern information and communication technology by farmers in India: Analysis using multivariate Probit model. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 22(2), 199–212. https://doi.org/10.1080/1389224x.2014.997255

[18] Most, F., Conejo, F. J., & Cunningham, L. F. (2018). Bridging past and present entrepreneurial marketing research. Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, 20(2), 229–251. https://doi.org/10.1108/jrme-11-2017-0049

[19] Nerur, S. P., Rasheed, A. A., & Natarajan, V. (2008). The intellectual structure of the strategic management field: An author co-citation analysis. Strategic Management Journal, 29(3), 319–336.

[20] Ravi, S., & Rajasekaran, S. R. C. (2023). A perspective of digital marketing in rural areas: A literature review. International Journal of Professional Business Review, 8(4), e01388. https://doi.org/10.26668/businessreview/2023.v8i4.1388

[21] Rejeb, A., Abdollahi, A., Rejeb, K., & Treiblmaier, H. (2022). Drones in agriculture: A review and bibliometric analysis. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 198, 107017.

[22] Rejeb, A., Keogh, J. G., & Treiblmaier, H. (2020). How blockchain technology can benefit marketing: Six pending research areas. Frontiers in Blockchain, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbloc.2020.00003

[23] Rejeb, A., Rejeb, K., Simske, S. J., & Keogh, J. G. (2021). Blockchain technology in the smart city: A bibliometric review. Quality & Quantity, 1-32.

[24] Ruel, S., Baz, J. E., Ivanov, D., & Das, A. (2021). Supply chain viability: Conceptualization, measurement, and nomological validation. Annals of Operations Research, 335(3), 1107–1136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-021-03974-9

[25] Sadoine, M. L., Zinszer, K., Liu, Y., Gachon, P., Fournier, M., Dueymes, G., Dorsey, G., Llerena, A., Namuganga, J. F., Nasri, B., & Smargiassi, A. (2024). Predicting malaria risk considering vector control interventions under climate change scenarios. Scientific Reports, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52724-x

[26] Shakhovskoy, M., Saab, W., Colina, C., Kline, S., Guzman, J. J., Hook, M. C., ... & O’Conor, M. (2021). Agricultural “platforms” in a digital era: Defining the landscape. ISF Advisors. Recuperado em 7 de março de 2023.

[27] Sharma, R., Kumar, A., & Ramakrishnan, R. S. (2021). Role of computational biology in sustainable development of agriculture. In Springer eBooks (pp. 53–69). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4791-5_3

[28] Sheeraz, M., Sajid, M., Mehmood, Y., Irfan, M., & Tahir, I. (2023). Brand awareness and digital marketing: Measurement tools and data analytics for agricultural industry. Journal of Arable Crops and Marketing, 5(2), 37–50. https://doi.org/10.33687/jacm.005.01.5047

[29] Singh, S., Singh, G., & Dhir, S. (2022). Impact of digital marketing on the competitiveness of the restaurant industry. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 27(2), 109–137. https://doi.org/10.1080/15378020.2022.2077088

[30] Sridhar, A., Balakrishnan, A., Jacob, M. M., Sillanpää, M., & Dayanandan, N. (2022). Global impact of COVID-19 on agriculture: Role of sustainable agriculture and digital farming. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(15), 42509–42525. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19358-w

[31] Srivastava, G. (2022). Antecedents of E-marketing of agriculture products in this digital era. International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction, 18(7), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijthi.306228

[32] Ugochukwu, A. I., & Phillips, P. W. (2018). Technology adoption by agricultural producers: A review of the literature. In From agriscience to agribusiness: Theories, policies and practices in technology transfer and commercialization (pp. 361–377).

[33] Ward, J. C., & Ostrom, A. L. (2006). Complaining to the masses: The role of protest framing in customer-created complaint web sites. Journal of Consumer Research, 33(2), 220–230.

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References

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