E-commerce platforms (ECP) offer significant potential to improve market access, price transparency and operational efficiency in various supply chains. Yet, despite these benefits, ECP adoption among small and marginal farmers (SMF) for improving the agricultural value chain in developing economies remains limited. Addressing this gap, the present study investigates the behavioural drivers underlying SMF intention to switch from conventional agricultural value chains to agriculture ECP (AECP) and its impact on rural livelihoods.
This study proposes an extended framework based on the theory of reasoned action that incorporates hedonic and utilitarian beliefs, peer word of mouth and platform trust, thereby capturing both individual evaluations and socially embedded decision-making dynamics. Primary data were collected through face-to-face surveys with 209 SMFs across selected Northern Indian states. The proposed model was empirically tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), supported by Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA) to generate actionable managerial insights.
The findings reveal that while both hedonic and utilitarian beliefs significantly shape farmers' attitudes toward AECPs, attitude alone does not directly translate into switching intention. Instead, subjective norms emerge as the strongest predictor, underscoring the central role of peer influence and community endorsement in farmers' adoption decisions. Peer word of mouth significantly influences both attitudes and subjective norms and exerts a strong indirect effect on switching intention. Platform trust further conditions these relationships by strengthening attitude-based decision-making while reducing dependence on social pressure. Overall, the results suggest that AECP adoption strategies should move beyond individual-centric digital literacy initiatives and instead focus on community-driven, trust-building interventions to accelerate adoption among SMFs.
This study offers actionable insights for improving rural livelihoods through the adoption of agricultural e-commerce platforms. The findings suggest that enhancing farmers' income stability, market access and bargaining power requires community-driven adoption strategies rather than isolated digital training.
The study highlights that farmer-centric e-commerce adoption strengthens rural livelihoods by improving social inclusion, collective decision-making and community trust. Peer-led platform use empowers small and marginal farmers, reduces exploitation by intermediaries and enhances livelihood security, dignity of work and social well-being in rural agricultural communities.
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to examine e-commerce platform adoption in agricultural supply chains explicitly from a rural livelihood perspective. Unlike prior research focused on technology efficiency or consumers, it foregrounds SMFs, revealing how social influence and trust uniquely shape platform adoption and livelihood outcomes.
