Mr. Fang Yan is currently an Associate Research Fellow as well as Director of Resource and Environment Policy Division at the Research Center for Rural Economy (RCRE), the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). His responsibilities there include economic analysis and policy/technological solution suggestion on problem of non-point source pollution, environment-friendly farming system, development strategy of renewable energy and ecological restoration and construction in environment fragile area. Currently, as the national project coordinator, Fang Yan organize the FAO research project 'Area-wide Integration of Specialized Livestock and Crop Production' in Jiangsu Province, China. As the research team leader, Fang Yan organized the research project of the Ministry of Agriculture 'Eco-household farming project in Western China Development'(2002), 'Study on the application of rural renewable energy technology and the reduction of Greenhouse Gas emissions'(2003), 'Chinese Platform of Virtual Research and Development Center, FAO'(2003), 'Policy Review and Formulation on Ecological Construction of grassland in western China'. As the consultant, Fang Yan takes part in 'STUDY ON CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT OF NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION,TA3891-PRC of Asian Development Bank(2003)'.

Fang Yan used to be Deputy Division Director of Supervision Division of the Office for Rural Reform Experiment Area (RREA) (Feb. 1998 - Jan. 1999), Vice Mayor of Tianmen City Government of Hubei Province (Feb. 1996 - Jan. 1998), Deputy Division Director of Agri-Technology Policy Division of Research Center for Rural Economy (RCRE) (Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1996). More than 40 papers (& reports) and 5 books were published on sustainable rural development in China, include 'Policy, Technology and Management of Sustainable Agriculture Development' Published by China Agriculture Press,2003. Mr. Fang got his MA in agricultural economics at China Agricultural University, and received extensive overseas trainings in Wageningen University of the Netherlands. He was visiting scholar of Fletcher School of Tufts University and Food Research Institute of Stanford University in 1995, short term consultant of World Bank in 2002.