Advancing Agro-Food Processing Productivity through Blended Finance: Evidence from a Bibliometric Review

The agro-food processing sector plays a pivotal role in promoting value addition, employment creation, and food security in developing economies. However, despite its importance, small-scale agro-food enterprises continue to face persistent financial constraints, and existing research provides limited empirical evidence on how innovative financing mechanisms—particularly blended finance—translate into measurable productivity outcomes. This gap constrains both policy design and effective implementation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Tanzania. This study employs a bibliometric review to examine how blended finance has been conceptualised and applied in relation to agro-food processing productivity. Data were retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed databases, covering 78 peer-reviewed publications published between 2000 and 2025. Using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny (R package Bibliometrix), the study analyses publication trends, thematic structures, and emerging research gaps. The findings reveal that research on blended finance remains nascent but is rapidly expanding, with increasing emphasis on sustainable development, agricultural finance, and small and medium-sized enterprises. Four major thematic clusters are identified: blended finance as a de-risking tool for agricultural investment; inclusive financing models for agro-food systems; productivity and competitiveness of small-scale enterprises; and sustainability, climate adaptation, and food security. The study concludes that, although blended finance is widely promoted as a catalytic instrument for mobilising investment, empirical evidence linking it to agro-food processing productivity remains fragmented and insufficient. Addressing this gap requires more context-specific, outcome-oriented, and methodologically rigorous research to inform policy and practice, particularly in LMICs such as Tanzania, where financing and productivity constraints are most pronounced.