The Future of AgREN

Dear AgREN Member,

We are writing to you with some disturbing news. We have just learned that support for AgREN from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) will not be renewed. The project that funded the most recent phase of AgREN began under the management of DFID's Rural Livelihoods Department, but recent reorganisations in the agency have seen the responsibility shift to the Policy Division, which is unable to make a commitment to continuing support for AgREN.

This threatens the life of a forum for rural development interchange that is almost 30 years old. It began in 1976 with the Agricultural Administration Network, grew into the Agricultural Extension Network and then, in 1990, became AgREN. This evolution has paralleled significant changes in the field of agricultural development, and AgREN has always provided an independent forum for the discussion and analysis of pro-poor agricultural research and extension strategies. It has always maintained an independent stance, welcoming thoughtful analyses from a range of viewpoints and experiences, providing strong editorial support, and ensuring that its publications are available to everyone.

All AgREN members should be grateful for the support provided by DFID over the years and should recognise that donor priorities and budgets are always subject to change. But it is difficult to see any relevant substitutes for the detailed reflection on rural development experience provided by AgREN. We are still hopeful that we will be able to convince DFID, or an alternative funding source, of the value of AgREN to the rural development community.

So AgREN is not finished yet! We will produce another mailing for mid-2005. We already have several network papers in hand for this, but if anyone has a paper for consideration they should contact Rob Tripp immediately. We will also produce another newsletter; it would be nice to see the next issue as full as possible, so please contact Alana Coyle regarding your newsletter items.

In the meantime, we will be taking our case to various donors. If you would like to add your voice to this effort, please let us know your thoughts on the closure of AgREN as soon as possible. They can be sent by

Fax: +44 (0)20 7922 0399
Post: AgREN, ODI, 111 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7JD, UK.

We are very sorry to have to bring you this news and we thank you for your continuing participation in AgREN.

Robert Tripp, Network Coordinator
Alana Coyle, Administrative Editor