AFN Network+
The AFN Network+ (UKRI Agri-food for Net Zero Network+) is an organisation of academics, farmers, producers and people working in the agri-food sector. The network is identifying the research gaps that need to be addressed if we are to reduce emissions in the sector and achieve the UK’s transition towards net zero.
The challenge
With external funding for three years, the network needed a website that would let them grow their membership, foster collaboration between members and build a long-term legacy.
The solution
Vital to the AFN Network+ extending its community beyond academia, was an online member directory that we built for them with a third party WordPress plugin. The directory uses an advanced filtering system so that researchers, third sector workers, farmers, and policymakers can search for like-minded individuals by location, background and expertise.
To encourage sign ups and protect privacy, members’ contact details are only available to other members. We removed a common bar to engagement by designing a registration process that is simple and friction-free, with clear calls to action at every stage of the visitor journey.
“Thank you for all of your work, from helping us through the early stages through to the development, thinking through all of the complexities around the directory”
Molly Watson, Department of Environment and Geography, University of York
The results
- The new website presents a professional face for the AFN Network+, allowing it to reach out beyond academia.
- More than 500 people (a quarter of the membership) have joined the online membership directory in its first few months, making valuable connections with each other
- The ease of publishing events, reports and resources is making the website a one-stop shop for many in the sector.
Visit: www.agrifood4netzero.net
