E-COMMERCE INTEGRATION AND DIRECT SALES IN ORGANIC PRODUCTS FROM FARM GATE TO CONSUMERS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN SOUTH TAMIL NADU

DOI: https://doie.org/10.65985/APER.2026251790

Authors:

Mr. S. Rakesh Kumar, Dr. R. Thangasundari

Keywords:

E-Commerce, Organic Supply Chain, Direct Sales, South Tamil Nadu, Farm-to-Consumer, Digital Agriculture.

Abstract:

Organic agriculture in India has expanded considerably over the past decade, yet the supply chains that carry certified organic products from smallholder farm gates to urban consumers remain structurally fragile, intermediary-dominated, and largely opaque. E-commerce platforms and direct-sales digital channels have emerged globally as structural alternatives capable of reducing intermediary stages, improving price transparency, and enabling producer-identity traceability — three features that are particularly valuable in organic supply chains where certification credibility and premium capture are central economic concerns. This paper presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of the challenges and opportunities associated with e-commerce integration and direct-sales models in organic agri-food supply chains, with specific reference to South Tamil Nadu, a region encompassing the districts of Madurai, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, Thoothukudi, and Dindigul. Following a PRISMA-informed search and screening protocol applied to Scopus, Web of Science, and supplementary databases, 54 sources were identified, 14 excluded at title and abstract stage, and 28 retained for thematic synthesis. Analysis is organized around four domains: digital infrastructure and access; consumer trust and traceability; logistics, cold chain, and last-mile delivery; and platform governance and certification compatibility. Findings indicate that e-commerce holds genuine potential to raise farm-gate price realization and widen market reach for smallholder organic producers, but that adoption is constrained by digital literacy deficits, uneven rural internet connectivity, cold-chain integration failures, and the structural mismatch between generic agricultural e-commerce platforms and the certification-specific documentation requirements of organic supply chains. A conceptual framework mapping the preconditions for viable e-commerce adoption in this regional context is proposed, together with an agenda for primary empirical research in the five southern districts.

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