Mapping Agricultural Impact Investing for Climate Change Mitigation: A Bibliometric Analysis under the SDGs Framework Authors: Kanwal Iqbal Khan, Kauser Abdullah Malik Journal: Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences (JAPS) ISSN: 1018-7081 (Print), 2309-8694 (Online) Volume: 36 Issue: 6 Year: 2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.36899/JAPS.2026.6.0145 URL: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.36899/JAPS.2026.6.0145 Publisher: Pakistan Agricultural Scientists Forum Abstract:

Impact investing has emerged as a critical financing approach that aligns financial gains with social and environmental objectives, particularly in addressing climate change through sustainable agricultural practices. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of impact investing in climate change mitigation under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework. Data were collected from the Scopus database from 2016 to 2025 using bibliometric analysis, from which 164 documents were obtained. Performance analysis uncovered the trends in publishing, important authors, institutions and influential journals; conceptual analysis uncovered major research themes through co-occurrence mapping and conceptual networks. The results highlighted four main interconnected clusters, shaping the intellectual structure of agricultural impact investing research: (1) sustainable finance & low-carbon transition, (2) climate-resilient development & green growth, (3) financial mechanisms & sustainability metrics, and (4) stakeholder engagement & SDGs alignment. These clusters have shown how interdisciplinary research on agricultural sustainability, climate change mitigation and impact investing is connected with each other. Basic themes, such as “climate change” and “SDGs,” served as anchors for the field. At the same time, emerging topics, including “agroecology”, “food production”, and “greenhouse gases”, highlighted future research paths in the thematic map. The study concludes that agricultural impact investing is increasingly positioned as a mechanism for mitigating climate change, but its development is uneven across regions and thematic areas. This research provides a comprehensive overview of the intellectual structure and evolution of the field, offering insights for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to expand impact-oriented agricultural investments aligned with global sustainability goals.

Keywords: Sustainable Agriculture, Green Growth, Food Production, Impact Investing, Sustainable Development Goals, Climate Change Mitigation