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ITU-T Focus Group Digital Financial Services
Ecosystem
Figure 11 – Ecosystem Facilitation
Social networks are well-positioned to facilitate these ecosystems.
• Technology building blocks: Social networks provide payment, event management, hosting,
communication tools, privacy management, and other reusable components that ecosystems need.
• Large modular network: Social networks can support many ecosystem types since a wide range of entities
participate (lenders, retailers, wholesalers, governments, NGOs, consumers). Essentially, the required
players are already ‘in the room’ and can participate in ecosystems relevant to them.
• Fast learning curve: The universal user experience simplifies onboarding new ecosystem members.
4.2.1 BoP use cases and benefits
Agricultural value chains
Social network platforms could be used to organize agricultural value chains and enhance how farmers interact
with produce buyers, agro-dealers, banks, and other stakeholders. In this scenario, third-party developers
or even social networks, could develop applications related to bidding, contract management, financing,
payment management, education, or product certification. Value chain administrators would then integrate
these applications into their value chain’s social network group. Using social network platforms would be
attractive because of the pre-existing user base and universal functionality such as registration, authentication,
communication, and hosting, among others.
Farmer groups
Some smallholding farmers organize themselves into groups to share knowledge, borrow from banks, or
negotiate better prices from crop buyers. Social networks can facilitate group creation and management. For
example, a lead farmer or NGO could create a Facebook group. Participating farmers could send and receive
group messages, review archived materials, buy and/or sell used equipment, document important agreements,
etc. There is evidence this is already happening.
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