Examination of economic impacts of pollinator decline on value chain actors: A PhD research contibuting to VALOR
Yujie Zhang, a PhD candidate in the Business Economics Group at our partner Wageningen University, had her PhD proposal approved by the Wageningen School of Social Sciences in September 2025. Her research forms part of VALOR’s Work Package 5: Dependences of value chain actors.
Her research examines how post-farm value chain actors perceive pollinators and engage in pollinator conservation, assesses the economic dependence of various value chains on wild animal pollinators, and investigates strategies to enhance value chain resilience to pollinator decline.
Yujie’s PhD focuses on understanding how post-farm value chain actors perceive pollinators and engage in their conservation, assessing the economic dependence of different sectors on wild pollinators, and exploring ways to reduce vulnerability across the supply chain. Her work supports VALOR’s mission to engage diverse stakeholders and develop effective, systems-based approaches to pollinator conservation.
Zhang holds a Master’s degree in Management, Economics and Consumer Studies from Wageningen University and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Nanjing Normal University. Before beginning her PhD, she worked as a sustainability consultant at Ramboll and served as National Consultant for China in the Greater Mekong Subregion Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Program. Her academic and professional interests centre on agricultural economics, business analysis, biodiversity, and sustainable development.
“It has been an enjoyable journey working with such a dedicated team in VALOR and inspiring to see the close collaboration between researchers, policy makers, business, and NGOs on such an important topic.”