Yanping Zhang serves as the Research Associate of WRI China Food and Natural Resources Program. She is responsible for the sustainable transformation of agriculture and food systems, and the low-carbon development in rural areas, to drive the synergies on the food security, climate change and biodiversity conservation agendas.

Before joining WRI, Yanping worked for the International Project Management Office of the Department of Science, Technology and Education of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) and has been responsible for international project management and research in the field of rural energy and environment protection for 14 years. She has rich experience in the development, implementation, and M&E of GEF project.  she has led and implemented more than 10 projects between MARA and international organization such as UDNP, FAO, World Bank in the field of agricultural biodiversity conservation, climate-smart agriculture, rural low-carbon development. Yanping graduated from China Agricultural University with a master's degree in agronomy.