Oral presentation: Amber van Veghel

Scoping reviews aim to map the extent, range, and characteristics of evidence across diverse sources. Existing scoping reviews on food in small island contexts often excluded evidence from the ABC islands. However, substantial food-related research has been conducted in this region. This study presents a first-time systematic mapping of publicly available scientific and grey literature on human food and beverage production, supply, and consumption in the ABC islands.

A protocol was developed based on the JBI and PRISMA-ScR methods. Nine databases were searched, including academic databases, local university and knowledge repositories, and global knowledge repositories. In total, 264 items were identified, of which 117 were published between 2000 and March 2025. Research characteristics were analysed for this latter subset, to explore current relevant themes. The results indicated a diverse, accessible, and expanding research field, with notable growth over the past decade. This increase coincided with a period of growing global attention to food-related research, as well as expanded funding opportunities and international collaborations. Most authors were affiliated with Dutch institutions, while first authors were predominantly affiliated with local institutions. Research focused primarily on Aruba, followed by Curaçao and Bonaire. The most frequently studied supply chain stage was agricultural production, particularly arable farming and fisheries.

For scoping reviews in small island contexts, we recommend searching multiple databases and including local University repositories. Each database contributed unique items and most evidence was drawn from these repository types. This overview contributes to greater transparency and accessibility of food-related research in the ABC islands.