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Research Paper | Business Administration | Volume 15 Issue 9, September 2026 | Pages: 1046 - 1050 | India
Global E-Commerce, Digital Trade Policies, and Tribal Livelihoods: An Empirical Study on NTFP Market Integration
Abstract: The entry of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) into the global e-commerce is a radical approach to improving the livelihoods of the tribes especially those living in isolated and forest-reliant areas. This research paper examines how digital trade policies and cross-border e-commerce models can help the tribes involved in the production of NTFP to gain access to the market, value addition, and empowerment through the economy. The study adopted a mixed-methodology based on combining structured questionnaires on the NTFP producers, interviews with the stakeholders in e-commerce, and secondary policy analysis to determine the impact of regulatory frameworks on the level of the market participation, prices, and competitiveness of tribal enterprises. The results show that the impact of successful policies in digital trade combined with capacity-building efforts is a considerable increase in the capacity of tribal producers to enter the international market, which has positive effects in terms of income stability, skill acquisition, and economic stability in general. Nevertheless, the issues like poor digital literacy, lack of infrastructures, and complicated regulatory needs still remain as obstacles to full participation. The paper provides practical policies that can be adopted by policy makers, online marketplaces, and development agencies to enable tribal people to have good participation in world NTFP markets without compromising on the management of such resources. This study will fill the existing gap between the traditional NTFP production and the modern digital trade systems and contribute to the further discussion of the inclusive economic growth, empowerment of tribes and sustainable integration into the market.
Keywords: Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), Global E-commerce, Digital Trade Policies, Digital Literacy
How to Cite?: Dr. Biswanath Soren, Dr. Snigdharani Panda, Dr. Shruti Sudha Mishra, "Global E-Commerce, Digital Trade Policies, and Tribal Livelihoods: An Empirical Study on NTFP Market Integration", Volume 15 Issue 9, September 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1046-1050, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26217081640, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26217081640