The paper begins by providing a context within which the Agroforestry Research Network for Africa—East and Central Africa has been functioning since 1989. It then proceeds to explain the structure and force on the organization in terms of current and future research activities. These include research on soil fertility, terrace management and erosion control, wood and fodder production. Research highlights selected from each of the participating countries are presented with respect to each theme. The paper concludes that when taken in total, results reported contribute to a general understanding of the reasons why fanners plant trees and prefer particular species. Understanding these reasons is important for planning new interventions that meet fanners' needs and fit their particular circumstances.