 This is the story of Kishan and Kishani, and their fellow farmers from a village called Shantipur. No matter how hard they tried, they could not get a fair price for their harvest. Production costs were high, they earned very little to support their family. One night, Kishan came back from the market with only a few taka. Again I couldn't get a fair price for our tomatoes. Why is this happening to us? It's not only us, most farmers here have the same problems. Something has to change, we'll all go hungry. I know, but what? As she kept on tying knots for the fences, Kishani realized something very important. Every knot she was making in a row, the fence was getting stronger and stronger. I know what we need to do is work together with other farmers. My auntie in Nacho told me that all the farmers there work together and are truly thriving. Yes, a farmer's organization. That's what we need. Let's invite all the struggling Shantipur farmers to a meeting tomorrow. Next morning at the farmer's meeting, hello everyone. I called us together this morning to talk about our situation. Things aren't working well for any of us, are they? We all have the same problems. Lack of finance, lack of information, high production costs and not getting a fair price for our produce. But we can't change our fate if we keep working separately. If we start a farmer's organization, we can pool our resources, share information, have stronger bargaining power and most importantly be there for each other in times of crisis. What do you think? Great idea! We agree! Okay, how should we proceed? I think that first, we should identify our activities and needs so we can know what services to provide. We should also define our vision and establish a constitution. Legal registration and a bank account would also help us greatly. Everyone participated in the discussion and together they made a plan to start a farmer's organization, the Shantipur Krishok Society. Hearing this news, farmer leaders from the Sharabangla Krishok Society came to help. They gave training on how to build a strong organization and how to gain access to finance. With their guidance, the Shantipur farmers then began to collect savings from their members and started a revolving loan fund. Members borrowed money and then repaid it so it could be borrowed again by other members. The fund was also used for community investments like a machinery rental center, a seed bank and an agricultural information and training center. They also began to sell their produce together so they had a stronger negotiating position in the market and could finally get a fair price. They started bulk buying inputs and so production costs decreased. Business started to grow and young people even started farming. But little did the farmers know what was coming when the pandemic came to Shantipur. They panicked. Because of the lockdown, they could not get to the market and were on the brink of going out of business. What are we going to do? I feel so hopeless. We mustn't forget that we are part of a larger network of farmers. Let's call Sharabangla for help. They found out that farmers within the Sharabangla network had started virtual call centers in their villages. They were using mobile phone technology to buy seeds and fertilizer, sell their harvest and get market information. The Shantipur farmers started their own call center. It made business possible again for everyone. Hooray! All the farmers celebrated. Now, several years since the farmers first meeting, the Shantipur Krishok Society is offering more and more services to its members. The organization is flowering into a full farmer business ecosystem. Everyone works in harmony and is able to support their family and their community. So, what do Kishan and Kishani want to say now to all farmers in Bangladesh? When you trust and work in harmony with others, you and your community can truly thrive. But wait, there's one more thing we have to look at. Bring back that ecosystem for me, please. This story wouldn't be complete without telling you about two partners that support Sharabangla's network of farmers. The Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme, GAFSP and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO. GAFSP provides inclusive finance for smallholder farmers and FAO provides technical knowledge and practical support. Together, they help bring the farmers organizations ideas to life. And if we look at everything offered here in this ecosystem, I think we can all agree. It's a winning partnership.