Chenchen RenPh.D. (she/her)

Incoming Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Bonn · From 15 November 2026

I study how agricultural structure shapes resource use, sustainability, and climate resilience.

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Portrait of Chenchen Ren

Research

I examine how agricultural structural conditions, defined here as the organization and distribution of resources, demographic composition, and institutional and policy contexts across scales, shape agricultural sustainability and climate resilience.

Agricultural structure & resource use

How farm and household characteristics shape access to and use of nitrogen, water, and land.

Climate resilience & adaptation

How structural conditions influence climate impacts and farms’ capacity to respond and adapt.

Enabling system-level change

How land organization, resource coordination, and targeted policy interventions can relax structural constraints and improve sustainability and climate resilience.

Methods: Econometric modelling · Causal inference · Geospatial analysis · Remote sensing

Selected Publications

  1. Aging threatens sustainability of smallholder farming in China

    Ren, C., Zhou, X., Wang C., Guo Y., Diao Y., Shen S., Reis, S., Li, W., Xu, J., Gu, B.

    Nature, 616, 96–103 · 2023

  2. Integrated irrigation and nitrogen optimization is a resource-efficient adaptation strategy for US maize and soybean production

    Ren, C., He, L., Rosa, L.

    Nature Food, 6, 389–400 · 2025

  3. Climate change unequally affects nitrogen use and losses in global croplands

    Ren, C., Zhang, X., Reis, S., Wang, S., Jin, J., Xu, J., Gu, B.

    Nature Food, 4, 294–304 · 2023

  4. Socioeconomic barriers of nitrogen management for agricultural and environmental sustainability

    Ren, C., Zhang, X., Reis, S., Gu, B.

    Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 333, 107950 · 2022

  5. Consolidation of agricultural land can contribute to agricultural sustainability in China

    Duan, J., Ren, C., Wang, S., Zhang, X., Reis, S., Xu, J., Gu, B.

    Nature Food, 2, 1014-1022 · 2021

    Co-first author

  6. The impact of farm size on agricultural sustainability

    Ren, C., Liu, S., van Grinsven, H., Reis, S., Jin, S., Liu, H., Gu, B.

    Journal of Cleaner Production, 220, 357-367 · 2019

  7. Cost-competitiveness of irrigation and nutrient management strategies for closing global yield gaps

    Ren, C., Rosa, L.

    Environmental Research Letters, 21, 104005 · 2026

  8. Inequality of global crop diversity changes driven by socioeconomic factors

    Gong, X., Ren, C., Wang, C., Gu, B.

    Science Bulletin, 70, 4230-4240 · 2025

    Co-first author

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Experience

Academic
background

Academic appointments

From 15 Nov 2026

Incoming Postdoctoral Researcher

University of Bonn, Germany

2023–2026

Postdoctoral Fellow

Carnegie Science · Stanford, CA, USA

Education

2019–2023

Ph.D., Land Resource Management

Zhejiang University, China

2017–2019

Master’s, Land Resource Management

Zhejiang University, China

2013–2017

Bachelor’s, Land Resource Management

Shandong Agricultural University, China

Academic Service

  • Editorial board member
    Communications Sustainability; Earth Critical Zone
  • Research Fellow · 2026–present
    International Nitrogen Network (iN-Net)
  • Working group member
    Nitrogen and Climate Working Group, iN-Net
  • Session Convener · 2024
    AGU Fall Meeting 2024, Washington, D.C.

Mentoring

My mentoring experience at Carnegie Science and Zhejiang University includes undergraduate and graduate research on climate change, resource management, and agricultural sustainability.

Curriculum vitae

Full academic CV

Academic appointments, publications, teaching and mentorship, grants, professional service, and awards.

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Contact

Get in touch

chenchenren05@gmail.com
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