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Open research questions in Global trade, sustainability, and social impact

123 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 1,398 Global trade, sustainability, and social impact papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • While precarity is increasing both for traditional employees and for contracted gig workers, little is known about how the growth of platforms is impacting non-platform employees.

    A Platform for Change: Gig-ification, Reclassification, and the Reorganization of California’s Grocery Industry · 2026 · DOI

  • Abstract Participation in global value chains (GVCs) is considered a vital pathway for developing countries to achieve sustainable development, yet the mechanisms ensuring this integration is both deep and sustainable remain underexplored.

    Firm innovation and participation in global value chains in a developing country · 2026 · DOI

  • Despite this growing interest, few studies have investigated how both external pressures and internal organizational factors jointly influence ESG management and its outcomes in the logistics sector.

    Exploring Stakeholder and Organizational Influences on ESG Management in the Logistics Sector · 2025 · DOI

  • Notification compliance varies across members, with some nations maintaining more comprehensive reporting than others. Causal attribution challenges complicate efforts to isolate trade discipline effects from other factors affecting agricultural development. Case study generalizability remains limited given sector and regional specificity.

    Structural Inequalities in Global Agricultural Trade Governance: An Empirical Analysis of WTO Framework Implementation in Developing Nations · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap between the presumed equitable outcomes of international trade regulations and the actual outcomes in emerging economies. The lack of empirical evidence on the impact of international trade regulations on agricultural development in emerging economies.

    Structural Inequalities in Global Agricultural Trade Governance: An Empirical Analysis of WTO Framework Implementation in Developing Nations · 2026 · DOI

  • Scalability beyond products with simple supply chains and well-understood biodiversity impacts is limited. Goods with greater supply chain complexity pose challenges for addressing biodiversity impacts.

    Towards Nature Positive supply chains: From biodiversity impacts to organisational action · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of clarity on how organisations can translate ambition into credible steps for reducing biodiversity impacts. Most organisations lack robust strategies to identify, quantify, and mitigate biodiversity impacts in their supply chains.

    Towards Nature Positive supply chains: From biodiversity impacts to organisational action · 2026 · DOI

  • La literatura previa no analiza en profundidad los impulsores, barreras y efectos organizacionales asociados a la adopción y cumplimiento de certificaciones agrícolas en Costa Rica, - No se han identificado estrategias sectoriales y políticas públicas efectivas para fortalecer capacidades productivas, institucionales y competitivas del sector agroexportador

    Certificaciones agrícolas en el sector agroexportador: barreras e impulsores en Costa Rica · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a research gap in the understanding of the challenges faced by MSMEs in Indonesia in fulfilling international certification. The study identifies a need for a proposed strategy to assist MSMEs in penetrating the global market.

    Strategy for Penetrating Global Regulatory Barriers: A Case Study of Non-Tariff Measures for Biopharmaceutical plant MSMEs in Lumajang · 2026 · DOI

  • Furthermore, there are still few MSMEs operating at the international level, since the limitation of networking as well as a lot of MSME which acts solely to collecting the product that will exported, as for those related to buyers is broker who sometimes commonly detrimental MSMEs position with providing a relatively low bid that leading in profit margin that is insufficient to contribute for the MSMEs that will conduct an export.

    Strategy for Penetrating Global Regulatory Barriers: A Case Study of Non-Tariff Measures for Biopharmaceutical plant MSMEs in Lumajang · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a gap in the analysis of technical certifications that operate as contractual requirements between companies in the agroexport sector. Prior work has focused on visible seals and distinctive signs of quality for the final consumer.

    Gobernanza y estándares privados en el sector agroexportador en Costa Rica · 2026 · DOI

  • The implementation of the SDGs is challenged by the lack of progress in achieving them, with only 17% of targets on track or already met. The SDGs are interdependent and indivisible, requiring governance approaches that account for synergies and trade-offs. The effectiveness of multistakeholder governance in achieving the SDGs is uncertain.

    Governing synergies and trade-offs between the SDGs: The potential and limitations for multistakeholderism in the context of prioritization · 2026 · DOI

  • The analysis is limited to voluntary governance efforts on a global level, and does not examine national or subnational level initiatives. The paper does not provide a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of multistakeholder governance in achieving the SDGs.

    Governing synergies and trade-offs between the SDGs: The potential and limitations for multistakeholderism in the context of prioritization · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for an operational and supply chain governance perspective in evaluating BULOG's role. The importance of addressing infrastructure disparities and institutional coordination challenges.

    Analysis of the Role of Perum Bulog in Maintaining the Stability of the National Rice Supply Chain · 2026 · DOI

  • The IPEF lacks conventional trade incentives. The IPEF may struggle to secure long-term commitment for costly reforms.

    The Application of TRIZ in Resolving the Indo‐Pacific Economic Framework Paradox · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the literature on the links between free trade and the environment. The study shows that protective measures can be an effective tool for inducing environmental reforms.

    The Green Virtues of Chinese Protectionism: A Comparative Analysis of EU and US Responses to the China Garbage Shock · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the literature regarding the relationship between institutional quality and primary sector exports. The research aims to fill this gap by examining the relationship between institutional quality, institutional distance, and primary sector exports in Indonesia.

    Institutional Quality and Primary Sector Exports: Empirical Evidence from Indonesia · 2026 · DOI

  • The traditional trading mechanisms are insufficiently flexible. The war in Ukraine has caused a shock to the global supply chains. The need to adapt to new routes and trade formats.

    Agrotrading in the system of new formats of international trade relations · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a gap in understanding the micro-financial dimension of agro-traders' operations. The traditional trading mechanisms are insufficiently flexible.

    Agrotrading in the system of new formats of international trade relations · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research can explore non-price factors affecting coffee exports - The analysis can be expanded to multiple countries to provide a broader understanding of global coffee trade

    Coffee Export Dynamics And Competitiveness: Evidence From A Hybrid ARDL–RCA Framework · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a research gap in understanding the dynamics of Indonesian coffee exports - The gap lies in examining the impact of production capacity, exchange rate, and revealed comparative advantage on export performance

    Coffee Export Dynamics And Competitiveness: Evidence From A Hybrid ARDL–RCA Framework · 2026 · DOI

  • The shortage of funds is a main obstacle to enterprise transformation. The gap in professional talents hinders transformation. Technical challenges include system compatibility issues and data security concerns.

    The Transformation of Trade Intermediaries: A Case Study of Garment Fabric Trading Companies · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap in the literature is the lack of analysis on the institutional evaluation of the policy design. The gap in the policy is the potential for market disruption, fiscal risk and new rent-seeking opportunities.

    Recalibrating Indonesia’s Proposed Single Trade Entity for Palm Oil, Coal and Ferroalloy Exports: A Review on Trade Misinvoicing, State Capacity and Commodity Governance · 2026 · DOI

  • The economic impact of measurement failure on vulnerable market participants has rarely been systematically assessed. Prior scholarship has largely focused on standards and conformity assessment.

    Measurement failure and farm gate income loss in Tanzania: A practitioner based study of legal metrology enforcement · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research could explore the scalability of the findings to other agricultural contexts. Further studies could examine the impact of platform participation on farmers' livelihoods.

    Bargaining power, bylaws, and social risk in Ugandas Mount Elgon coffee innovation platforms · 2026 · DOI

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123 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 1,398 Global trade, sustainability, and social impact papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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