Pathways to Rural E-Commerce: A Systematic Review of Drivers, Barriers, and Policy Implications

Accelerating rural e-commerce development is a promising strategy to simultaneously achieve sustainable agricultural production and reduce rural poverty. Scholars worldwide have devoted particular attention to the factors driving rural e-commerce forward. Building on a comprehensive definition of rural e-commerce, this study reviews 105 related literature published between 2015 and 2026 on its determinants. Our findings suggest that human capital (i.e., education and health status), social capital, infrastructure construction, online platform development, subsidy provision, laws and regulations, e-commerce awareness, technology innovation and adoption, and the incidence of COVID-19 are widely recognized as key drivers of rural e-commerce development. Factors such as age, gender, land ownership, household economic status, and traditional culture tend to have a dual impact (either positive or negative) on the development of rural e-commerce. Our study also highlights research gaps in the considered literature regarding theoretical and conceptual analyses, measurement of rural e-commerce, methods for identifying determinants, and the scope of determinant identification. Based on these findings, our study proposes that policies should focus on amplifying the positive impacts of the drivers and on creating appropriate conditions to unleash the effectiveness of the double-edged factors.