26 August 2025|News
From August 2nd to 3rd, 2025, the " Three foci for food to leverage SDGs and beyond " workshop was held at the School of Environmental Ecology and Resources of Guangzhou University of Technology. More than 60 scholars from over 20 institutions worldwide participated in the forum. Dr Sun Mingxing and Dr Xu Xiangbo, UNEP-IEMP senior researchers, attended the workshop and participated in discussions and speeches.
The workshop was divided into 5 sections, discussing issues such as the environmental and health impacts, trends in data modeling, and resilience of the agrifood system. During the workshop, experts expressed their viewpoints on multiple aspects of agrifood system, extensively discussing research progress and gaps in the areas of environment, health, and resilience, and pooling different perspectives to effectively promote the research process in the field of food system modeling. Dr Sun Mingxing and Dr Xu Xiangbo made a summary speech on the resilience dimension of the food system, stressing that improving the resilience of the food system requires firstly building an assessment framework for the food system, and secondly, conducting systematic and dynamic evaluations of the food system's nutrition, health, and environment dimensions. They also emphasized the relationship between food system transformation and residents' livelihoods and inequality. Finally, they stressed the impact of policy and market measures on the resilience of the food system.
The participants also raised many issues that were rarely addressed or ignored in previous studies, such as the impact of personal or family dietary habits outside of main meals on health, the potential impact of increasingly sweet fruits, and the applicability of current measures to future problems. The discussion results provided new research inspiration and cooperation opportunities for the participants.
26 August 2025|News
On August 11th, the 3rd Huzhou Forum on the Concept of Clear Waters and Lush Mountains are Invaluable Assets was held at Huzhou Normal University. With over 120 participants from relevant national departments, international organizations, universities, research institutes, and industry associations, the forum focused on how to effectively promote ecological civilization construction and conducted in-depth discussions on topics such as Beautiful China, Rural Revitalization, and Common Prosperity. Dr Sun Mingxing and Dr Xu Xiangbo, UNEP-IEMP senior researchers, participated in the forum and delivered speeches in parallel session. Dr Xu Xiangbo gave the speech titled "Progress and Characteristics of Ecological Farm Construction in China" and Dr Sun Mingxing gave the speech titled "Improvement of Rural Food Consumption Quality and Sustainable Transformation in China". They elaborated on the implementation of the "Two Mountains" concept from the perspectives of sustainable agricultural production and sustainable food consumption, and exchanged views with the attendees.
During the forum, the "Two Mountains" Concept Research Institute of Huzhou Normal University held achievements release event. On the 20th anniversary of the proposal of the concept that "Clear Waters and Lush Mountains are Invaluable Assets", the director of the "Two Mountains" Concept Research Institute of Huzhou Normal University published several academic works, contributing "Huzhou wisdom" to practicing the concept that " Clear Waters and Lush Mountains are Invaluable Assets" and building a beautiful China.
18 August 2025|News
Darwin, July 2025 — The UNEP-IEMP took an active role at the 11th Ecosystem Services Partnership World Conference (ESP11), in July 2025 in Darwin, Australia, where more than 200 researchers, policy makers, Indigenous peoples, local community leaders, and private sector innovators gathered to advance nature-based solutions.
The team from UNEP-IEMP delivered two monetary-valuation case studies: Heilongjiang’s soybean-expansion scenarios, and the landscape management in Yunnan. All sessions mapped the nature-inclusive externalities and demonstrated how rigorous accounting can reconcile food security, rural livelihoods, and biodiversity goals.
ESP11 placed particular focus on Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) as co-designers of sustainable practices. Throughout the conference, vibrant discussions carried on among IPLC representatives, national planning officials, and impact-investment managers to explore joint pilots on ecological-compensation credits, gender-inclusive training programmes, and resilience metrics for agri-food systems. The conference’s blend of scientific evidence, IPLC-driven narratives, and private sector innovation reinforced a common message: translating ecosystem services into fiscal language is vital for scaling nature-based solutions while respecting community stewardship.
18 August 2025|News
In a significant push to advance sustainable bamboo agroforestry in Kenya, the UNEP-IEMP team, alongside Chinese investors and media representatives, conducted a series of high-level policy consultations and field visits across Kenya in late July and early August. The mission, part of the "China-Kenya Bamboo Technology Transfer" project, aimed to accelerate bamboo adoption for environmental restoration, economic growth, and climate resilience building.
During a pivotal meeting with Dr. Deborah Mlongo Barasa, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, discussions centered on leveraging Chinese expertise to boost Kenya’s bamboo sector. Dr. Barasa emphasized bamboo’s multifaceted benefits, including land restoration in degraded areas, carbon sequestration to combat climate change, job creation particularly for women and youth, and industrial applications for sustainable product development. She welcomed deeper China-Kenya collaboration, citing the upcoming launch of the Kenya National Bamboo Development Strategy and Action Plan (2025-2035) as a game-changer for the sector.
Chinese delegation meeting at the Kenya Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry
In talks with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), stakeholders explored how bamboo could support the KWS Strategic Plan (2024-2028) by reducing human-wildlife conflicts through buffer zones and food supply, restoring fragile ecosystems in national parks, engaging local communities in conservation efforts, and supporting Kenya’s 15 Billion Tree Initiative.
During the field mission in Busia County, local bamboo farmers and stakeholders gathered at the project site to meet with Chinese business delegation in exploring on mature bamboo resources availability and issues for potential business investment. Farmers highlighted challenges in scaling production but expressed optimism about partnerships that could unlock the development potential. Local bamboo farmers and the Chinese business delegation also assessed bamboo-based riverbank restoration along the Nzoia River Basin, a model that could be replicated nationwide to combat soil erosion and flooding.
To explore the potential of coastal bamboo plantation, field visit to Earthlungs` bamboo agroforestry pilot in hilly coastline was made. It showcased fast-growing bamboo species are stabilizing coastal hillsides, preventing soil erosion, and protecting mangrove ecosystems from sedimentation. The initiative demonstrates how bamboo can bolster climate resilience in vulnerable coastal regions.
Mombasa bamboo agroforestry pilot for coastal mangrove rehabilitation
A Chinese CGTN film crew documented the project’s achievements, with footage set to debut during the upcoming UNFCCC CoP.
With strong policy backing, field-tested models, and growing investor interest, Kenya’s bamboo sector is poised for expansion—offering a triple win for the environment, economy, and local communities.
Shooting for project documentary film
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
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 adopting 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.
