04 August 2025|News
The 2025 Annual Meeting of theAgricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA)was held inDenver, Colorado, USA, fromJuly 27 to 29, 2025. As one of thepremier international conferencesin agricultural and applied economics, the AAEA Annual Meeting attracts over1,000 participantsfrom research institutions, universities, and international organizations worldwide. It features a variety of events, includingcommittee and journal meetings, section meetings, business meetings, track sessions, pre-/post-conference workshops, and employment services. The AAEA consists of29 sections, including theChina Section. At the annual meeting, the China Section holds itsBusiness Meetingto introduce its leadership team, discuss membership growth, and provide financial updates, as well as to elect new Member-at-Large for the next term. The section also offersrecruitment servicesfor universities and graduates.
Dr. Yunli Bai from the United Nations Environment Programme - International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP), currently serving as the Chair of the AAEA China Section, attended the annual meeting upon invitation. Representing the China Section leadership team, she participated in the Section Chairs’ Meeting, where the AAEA President Timothy Beatty presented updates on the AAEA’s developments. Dr. Bai organized the China Section Business Meeting, which attracted participation from over 80 scholars, and presented awards to authors who received the Best Paper Award of the China Section. Additionally, she organized and moderated a track session titled "Inclusive Development and Effective Governance in Rural China". The session featured seven presentations and engaged more than 50 scholars with vibrant discussions.
Dr. Yunli Bai moderated the track session
14 July 2025|News
On July 10, 2025, the United Nations Environment Programme – International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP) successfully hosted the 16th CEL Seminar. Professor Holly Wang, Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, Michigan State University, and a Fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA), and the Co-Editor-in-Chief of Food Policy, delivered a presentation titled "Consumer Preferences for Cell-Cultivated Salmon: An Application of Clock-Proxy Auction using Real Products". The seminar was moderated by UNEP-IEMP Director Linxiu Zhang. Over 20 faculty members and students from UNEP-IEMP and the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR) participated in this seminar.
The presentation focuses on consumer’s willingness to pay (WTP) for cell-cultivated meat using salmon as an example. Professor Wang pointed out that excessive consumption of animal protein leads to issues such as greenhouse gas emissions and animal welfare concerns, driving the development of cell-cultivated meat technology. However, it faces challenges of high production costs and low market acceptance. By reviewing existing literature on consumer WTP using auction methods, Professor Wang summarized the innovation and contribution of using the Clock-Proxy auction method to evaluate consumer WTP for real cell-cultivated salmon products in this study. In the experimental design phase, Professor Wang showed the design details of the two stages of the Clock-Proxy auction, sample selection, cell-cultivated meat information interventions, and data collection methods. Preliminary research results showed that the cell-cultivated meat information interventions significantly increase consumer WTP for cell-cultivated salmon (such as a $15-20 increase in WTP for upscale dishes), but the WTP derived from auctions based on real products is lower than that derived from auctions based on hypothetical products, indicating a "hypothetical bias" in existing studies. In addition, the information interventions have a greater impact on the WTP for the combinations of multiple products. These results highlight the value of auction experiments based on real products in policy-making.
During the discussion session, the attendances engaged in lively exchanges with Professor Wang from multidisciplinary perspectives (e.g. economics, food science, and consumer behavior). The topics included the robustness test, sample representativeness, limitations of the auction mechanism application, and the policy implications of the findings.
As a critical area for sustainable transformation of food system, cell-cultivated meat is a significant topic for reducing carbon emissions and improving animal welfare. This successfully held seminar enhances the knowledge regarding advanced food technologies and consumer preferences, while also sharing insights from the collaboration between academic research and the food industry.
14 July 2025|News
On July 9, 2025, the United Nations Environment Programme – International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP) successfully hosted the 15th CEL Seminar. Associate Professor Jiang Chunxia, Head of the Department of Accounting, Finance and Real Estate at the University of Aberdeen Business School, UK, delivered an academic presentation titled "Doing Good and Speaking Well: The Effect of ESG Performance and Disclosure Quality on Stock Price Informativeness". The session was moderated by the UNEP-IEMP Director Zhang Linxiu.
Dr. Jiang introduced the development of ESG disclosure regulations for the listed companies in China since 2011. She presented an innovatively constructed "ESG Disclosure Quality" index system designed to evaluate the readability, completeness, and credibility of non-financial disclosures of corporates. Building on this framework, her research examined how ESG performance combined with disclosure quality jointly influence the stock price informativeness in capital markets, alongside traditional financial performance and credit ratings.
During the discussion session, the attendances actively engaged in exchanges on the impact mechanisms of ESG disclosure, green investment trends, and policy recommendations. The lecture enhanced the attendances’ understanding of sustainable finance while providing valuable insights for advancing China’s green finance system and facilitating international dialogue.
10 July 2025|News
On June 30th, a project mid-term review event was organized in the Bunyala area of the Nzoia River Basin, Kenya, under the "Ecosystem Restoration for Enhancing Livelihoods and Addressing Climate Change: China-Kenya Cooperation on Bamboo Technology Transfer" project. The event gathered key project stakeholders to review progress, share experiences, and discuss lessons learned toward achieving the project targets. The China Global Television Network (CGTN) featured the project’s successes and impacts in its news coverage.
In Kenya’s worst flood-impacted region, the lower reach of the Nzoia River Basin, the project intervened through bamboo agroforestry to enhance flood regulation, stabilize riverbanks, and support local livelihoods. With a 3km multi-species plantation of bamboo, along with vetiver grass, Sesbania Sesbans, and other crops, the project is transforming abandoned riparian land into resilient ecosystems while providing a strong foundation for food supply, industrial development, and local livelihoods. With additional demo bamboo house built, community-level nursery established, and weaving technology shared, communities are empowered to embrace restoration efforts for building a climate-resilient future. The project also enhances South-South cooperation between China and Kenya through knowledge and technology transfer, and capacity building for over 450 local members.
Multi-species plantation of bamboo and others at the project site
This project is funded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences through its international cooperation platform, the Sino-Africa Joint Research Center (SAJOREC). The Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the United Nations Environment Programme - International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP) are leading the project implementation, which involves collaboration with other institutions and builds upon existing efforts.
24 June 2025|News
On June 18th, 2025, the "Thailand – China Symposium on Innovation and Sustainability: Technology and Innovation Transfer on Bamboo Processing and Its Applications" was organized as part of the "Thailand Research Expo 2025" in Bangkok, Thailand. The event was co-hosted by the National Metal and Materials Technology Center (MTEC), the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), the Program Management Unit on Area Based Development (PMU A), and the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI). To mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China, the event brought together leading experts, local partners (such as provincial farmers' councils and universities), and also entrepreneurs from Thailand and China to share insights on building an effective technological ecosystem to enhance bamboo economies and to provide a platform for networking and potential future collaboration between the two countries. The highlight of the event was the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between MTEC and Nanjing Forestry University (NJFU) to collaborate on R&D and technology transfer related to environmentally friendly bamboo-based construction materials.
Group photo of the organizing team
Ms TatiroseVijitpan, the Focal Point of Greater Mekong Sub-region Portfolio at UNEP-IEMP, served as a panelist in the discussion session titled: "Building a Technological Ecosystem to Unlock Collective Potential for Community Prosperity". Drawing on UNEP-IEMP’s past and ongoing projects to facilitate cooperation on bamboo utilization between China and other countries, she highlighted the importance of taking a holistic view of the bamboo value chain to benefit local stakeholders, protect the environment and enhance sustainable bamboo industry. She also emphasized the significance of raising awareness and building capacity for local farmers and entrepreneurs in adapting the technology, as well as the essential role of government in creating enabling environments for bamboo utilization. As UNEP-IEMP played a catalytic role in this Thailand-China bamboo cooperation, she expressed great pleasure in witnessing the growth of this partnership and appreciated the opportunity to be part of this journey.
The panel discussion session
12 June 2025|News
From May 20-22, 2025, the 3rd International Agrobiodiversity Congress was held in Kunming, Yunnan Province. The United Nations Environment Programme-International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP), in collaboration with the Farmers' Seed Network (FSN) and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, co-hosted a side-event titled Living Agrobiodiversity: Enhancing Multiple Stakeholders' Partnership and Supporting Integrated Community-based Actions for Food System Transformation, Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Change Adaptation. The event brought together over 40 participants from Asia, Europe, and South America.
With a focus on global progress in agrobiodiversity conservation, especially those emerging from the Global South, the speakers introduced five key areas of stakeholders engagement, which included the important role of seed banks in global biodiversity conservation; the practical significance of community participatory breeding in China; the practice of living agrobiodiversity in Southeast Asia; the linkage between regional conservation initiatives and on-farm agrobiodiversity in China; and community-based conservation and utilization efforts in Nepal. The speakers also shared experiences and lessons learned from their work.
During the panel discussion on Farm Agrobiodiversity Conservation and Utilization: Challenges and Opportunities, European scholars, representatives from Asian non-governmental organizations (NGOs), ethnic minority farmers from China, and entrepreneurs came together to exchange insights drawn from their own professional and personal experiences.
In her closing remarks, Prof. Linxiu Zhang, Director of UNEP-IEMP, thanked all speakers for their insightful presentations, which ranged in scale from local to global and addressed a wide spectrum of themes, including systems, communities, partnerships, and stakeholder roles. Director Zhang concluded with three key reflections. First, there is still considerable work to be done in elevating community experiences to the level of national policies and regulations, and the strengthening of partnerships will play a key role in supporting this effort. Second, the initiatives, actions, and solutions discussed at the event all contribute to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, aligning these local efforts more directly to national and global biodiversity conservation strategies and action plans will be a critical next step. Third, achieving effective living agrobiodiversity conservation will require more systematic theories and approaches, stronger partnerships among farmers, communities, actors, scientists and government policymakers, and deeper knowledge across agricultural systems, including water resources, soil, fertilizers, pesticides, animal husbandry, and other elements of the agriculture chain.
Group photo of the participants
During the conference, the UNEP-IEMP team actively participated in a range of session presentations, side events, and roundtable discussions, introducing the team’s work on agrobiodiversity conservation in areas such as methodological innovations, international cooperation, stakeholder capacity building, and support for community-based practices. Through in-depth exchanges with both domestic and international participants, the team connected with a group of like-minded partners and further expanded opportunities for future collaboration.
06 June 2025|News
During June 3rd-5th, 2025, the "2025 China-Australia Workshop on Environmental Protection and Biodiversity" was organized successfully and fruitfully. The event was hosted by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Australian Academy of Science; and organized by the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGSNRR, CAS) and the United Nations Environment Programme - International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP). It took place at the IGSNRR, CAS, in Beijing.
With an overall aim to foster scientific collaboration between Chinese and Australian scientists in the fields of environmental protection and biodiversity conservation, the workshop brought together over 50 participants from almost 20 institutions from both countries. Recognizing that both China and Australia face pressing challenges relating to biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, this workshop served as a platform for sharing latest research findings, best practices, and explore innovative approaches to support the policy development and actions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. It provided opportunities for scientists to present their work, engage in interdisciplinary dialogue, and establish meaningful scientific partnerships. The workshop co-chairs were Prof. Linxiu Zhang (Director, UNEP-IEMP) and Prof. Alan Andersen (Charles Darwin University).
The group photo of all participants
The joint workshop opened with brief welcoming remarks from Prof. Hongping He, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Prof. Chennupati Jagadish, President of the Australian Academy of Science; and Mr Timothy Sill, Counsellor (Industry, Science, and Resources) of the Australian Embassy in Beijing. All emphasized the importance of collaborative research and shared learning to tackle biodiversity challenges in the face of climate change.
The main part of the event consisted of insightful presentations around the main themes of terrestrial biomes, freshwater biome, marine biome and climate change. Following the presentations, participants actively engaged in discussions with the speakers, delving deeper into the topics covered. The last session was the roundtable discussion on developing joint research and policy recommendations, in which the participants discussed ideas on priorities for future collaborative China-Australia research on biodiversity and its protection, among others.
Prof. Linxiu Zhang and Prof. Alan Andersen Co-chaired the roundtable discussion
At the end of the workshop, Prof. Linxiu Zhang delivered her closing speech that the event was a real feast of scientific knowledge exchange. She thanked all the participants for the lively exchange. She also encouraged everyone to further the cooperation and appreciated the opportunity for UNEP-IEMP to play an important facilitation role.
28 April 2025|News
The United Nations Environment Programme -International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP), in collaboration with Kenyan government agencies, community-based organizations, and academic institutions, is spearheading a groundbreaking mission in Busia County in April 2025. The initiative focuses on bamboo agroforestry, riverbank restoration, and climate-resilient housing to address ecosystem degradation and support development of local communities.
Targeting at restoration of 25 hectares of riparian land along the Nzoia River, the team implemented integrated approach for ecosystem restoration, with bamboo agroforestry as the core concept. Three species of bamboos (Bambusa vulgaris, Dendrocalamus asper, and Dendrocalamus giganteus), together with vetiver grass and Sesbania Sesbans were planted along 3km strip of the riverbanks in this long raining season to regulate floods, stabilize riverbanks and reduce soil erosion. Crops like maize, beans and vegetables were inter-cropped with the bamboos to provide food and incentives for community participation. This was conducted at the community recommended land, which was abandoned for the past 50 years due to frequent floods in the Lake Victoria Basin.
Community participated in bamboo plantation for riverbank restoration along the Nzoia River
This bamboo agroforestry initiative will not only build an ecological green belt along riverbanks with dense underground root system and above ground canopy, but also provide social economic value to the community, like food, fodder, pollinator, building and thatching material, medicinal herb and purified water. Such nature-based solution is being implemented and tested by the community as cost-effective approach for both short-term and long-term benefits in the flood zone.
Community participated in vetiver grass plantation for riverbank restoration along the Nzoia River
With capacity building as an integrated component of this initiative, two training sessions were organized during April 3rd-5th, focusing on sustainable bamboo cultivation and processing, bamboo agroforestry approach, bamboo propagation and sustainable bamboo plantation management. Around 100 community members were engaged and benefited from such technology transfer and trainings.
Training on bamboo propagation
This initiative also promotes sustainable use of bamboo resources for building climate resilient shelters, so as to boost the value chain development of bamboo industry. With a prototype of climate resilient bamboo house built at the Runguga Primary School last December, potential partners including Habitat for Humanity, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Kenya Red Cross visited the demo and discussed its upscaling potential as a shelter for seasonal flood refugees in Kenya and beyond.
Stakeholders visited the bamboo house at the Runguga Primary School, Busia
This initiative is supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences through its Sino-Africa Joint Research Center based in Nairobi, under the project entitled "Ecosystem Restoration for Enhancing Livelihoods and Addressing Climate Change: China-Kenya Cooperation on Bamboo Technology Transfer". This field mission was participated by the Kenya Wildlife Research and Training Institute, Intergovernmental Authority on Development,CentreofExcellenceforClimateAdaptationandEnvironmentalProtection (IGADCAEP), Habitat for Humanity, Busia Government, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), WaterResourceUsersAssociation and the local community.
27 February 2025|News
On February 19, 2025, Prof. Linxiu Zhang (Director of UNEP-IEMP), Dr. Xiangbo Xu, and Dr. Li Li attended the 2024 Annual Progress Review Meeting of the NSFC-UNEP project "The Regulation of Soil Biodiversity on Human and Livestock Pathogens and Its Risks to Human Health in Urban Ecosystems". The meeting was successfully held at the Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Xiamen.
The meeting was chaired by Prof. Xin Lu (Chief of the Science and Technology Division of the Institute of Urban Environment, CAS). Wencong Li (Chief of the International Science and Technology Cooperation Department, NSFC) and Prof. Linxiu Zhang both delivered opening speeches. The expert review session was chaired by Prof. Keping Ma (Leader of the expert group, Institute of Botany, CAS). The meeting was also attended by experts from the Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, CAS; South China Agricultural University; Institute of Soil Science, CAS; Huazhong Agricultural University; Nanjing Forestry University; Beijing Forestry University; and Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, CAS.
Prof. Sun Xin (Project leader, Institute of Urban Environment, CAS) reported on the project’s progress and research outcomes. The project integrates the strengths of the Institute of Urban Environment, CAS; Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, and Peking University, and collaborates with research teams from Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, and other regions. By exploring urban soil biodiversity’s regulation of zoonotic pathogens and the associated human health risks, the project reveals the distribution patterns and driving mechanisms of urban soil biodiversity, making significant research progress. In addition, international cooperation and exchanges were further expanded this year, with 9 foreign experts hosted and 3 trips abroad, which greatly enhanced international collaborations.
The attending experts highly praised the project’s progress and provided guidance on international cooperation management, output formats, and progress contents. The research findings contribute to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ensuring the well-being of urban residents, and promoting sustainable urban development. The project is funded by the international (regional) cooperation and exchange program jointly initiated by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which particularly focuses on supporting scientific and technological cooperation and research in developing countries in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.
26 February 2025|News
From February 20 to 21, 2025, the inaugural International Symposium on "Urban Biodiversity and Sustainable Development" (Asia Region) was successfully held in Xiamen, China. The event was co-hosted by the Biodiversity Committee of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and co-organized by the Institute of Urban Environment of CAS, the United Nations Environment Programme-International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP), and the Urban Health and Wellbeing (UHWB) Programme of the International Science Council (ISC). Over 140 representatives from 31 universities, 14 research institutions, and 21 international organizations worldwide gathered to discuss future pathways for urban biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Linxiu Zhang, Director of UNEP-IEMP, emphasized that urban biodiversity has become a core issue in addressing climate change, enhancing residents' well-being, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She highlighted UNEP-IEMP’s efforts to assist local governments in integrating biodiversity conservation into urban development planning through support for implementing Target 12 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), as well as piloting urban ecological restoration projects in Asia and Africa. Dr. Zhang called for advancing urban green transitions through Nature-based Solutions (NbS), stressing that "science-enabled multi-stakeholder collaboration is key to unlocking the potential of urban biodiversity."
Ms. Linxiu Zhang delivering a speech at the opening ceremony
Experts unanimously agreed that scientific evidence must be swiftly translated into policy tools, with interdisciplinary collaboration bridging knowledge gaps. Cities, they noted, are not only centres for sustainable development challenges but also testing grounds for innovative solutions. The symposium injected new momentum into urban biodiversity research in Asia and showcased "Chinese wisdom" and "UN-driven approaches" for ecological governance in the global urbanization process.
