The African Network for Agriculture, Agroforestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE) comprises of African colleges and universities teaching agriculture and natural resource sciences. Supported by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in Nairobi, Kenya, the network was established in 1993 and is currently made up of 134 member institutions (universities and colleges) in 35 African countries. It emerged from a series of educational workshops supported by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in the 1990s and was launched in 1993 by 17 universities and 12 technical colleges teaching land use and disciplines in sub-Saharan Africa.

The network consists of four regional chapters known as RAFTs (Regional Agricultural Fora for Training - one each in Eastern and Central Africa (ECA), Southern Africa (SA), the Sahelian countries (Sahel), and the Africa Humid Tropics countries (AHT)) - and 21 National Chapters known as NAFTs (National Agricultural Fora for Training). Activities in each RAFT are spearheaded through a Focal Institution. The ANAFE Secretariat is based in Nairobi Kenya and supports the networking functions.

Our Vision

A vibrant network leading in agricultural and natural resources education for development.

Our Mission

To improve the quality, relevance and application of agricultural & natural resource management education for development.

Our Objective

Improve in a sustainable manner, the contribution of agricultural &  natural resource management education to social and economic development of the African people.

ANAFE’s mandate focuses on four key pillars:

• To facilitate/guide the transformation of land use education programs as well as the teaching and learning processes into more integrative and effective approaches for solving real development problems;
• To strengthen the capacity of institutions of learning in land use sciences and technology in Africa and develop mechanisms that enhance and sustain collaboration among them and with other stakeholders;
• To enhance the understanding and application of working principles and practices that promote synergy among experts in all branches of land use and facilitate better reach to stakeholders; and
• To put in place effective mechanisms for participatory monitoring and evaluation of Africa’s agricultural capacity and to develop and implement responsive strategies.

To deliver the aforementioned objectives, ANAFE institutionalizes integrated education programs in Agriculture, Agroforestry, Forestry, Environment and Natural Resources at African colleges and universities. This enables the member institutions to produce graduates capable of developing, disseminating and implementing agricultural practices suitable for African farmers and solving natural resource management problems in a holistic manner for human development and for conserving the environment. ANAFE has asserted its role in the society as:

• To strengthen the content and delivery of tertiary education in Agroforestry, Agriculture and Natural Resource sciences;
• To establish and nurture linkages among education, research and extension to maintain the relevance of education programs;
• To build a culture of sharing information and expertise among educational and training institutions in Africa and promote links with global partners.

Members of ANAFE are colleges and universities in Africa offering education programs in agroforestry, agriculture, forestry, natural resource management and environment, including related topics in social sciences. ANAFE has 134 member colleges and universities in 35 African countries. It is among the largest working networks of educational institutions in Africa. Colleges and Universities outside Africa may apply for Associate membership.

Beyond the networks, ANAFE also collaborates with ICRAF’s regional programs to link research with education and training. It also collaborates with several regional and development organizations on education, training and research and provides human resources to form a pool of trainers. These include the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), the Southern African Center for Cooperation in Agriculture and Natural Resources Research and Training (SACCAR) and the West African Council for Agriculture, Research and Development (CORAF). Others include:

• The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
• Pan African Agribusiness Consortium (PanAAC);
• The Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in East and Central Africa (ASARECA);
• The Centre for Coordinating Agricultural Research and Development in Southern Africa (CCARDESA);
• Agribusiness Incubator Initiative of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ABI-ICRISAT).