Barbara Baarsma has more than 20 years of experience in applied economic research. Her economic expertise is broad, ranging from market dynamics, competition and regulation to general and quantitative economics. The same applies to her knowledge of different sectors; the many dozens of studies she has conducted have covered at least as many industries. As a professor and formerly as a member of the Social and Economic Council of the Netherlands (SER), she has spoken out on a wide range of political issues. She was also part of the Herstel NL think tank, which advocated a different approach to coronavirus policy.
Career
Barbara began studying Industrial Design Engineering at Delft University of Technology but switched to Economics at the University of Amsterdam after one year. She obtained her PhD from the Faculty of Economics and Business in 2000. She joined Rabobank in 2018. She started at the bank’s economic research department, later became Managing Director of Rabobank Amsterdam and served as CEO of Rabo Carbon Bank from 2021 until March 2023. This sustainable initiative connects parties that store CO₂ with companies seeking to reduce or offset their emissions. The initiative also works with farmers to explore opportunities for storing CO₂ in the soil.
Research
In recent years, Baarsma has researched the advantages and disadvantages of short food supply chains. She documented her experiences in the 2020 book Nederland voedselparadijs. She advocates producing and consuming more food through short supply chains. Together with colleagues, she helped develop a short food supply chain in and around Amsterdam. As a member of the Advisory Board of the Taskforce Korte Ketens, she is also committed to sharing knowledge and strengthening short food supply chains.
Barbara as a speaker
In addition to her research, Barbara regularly delivers keynotes and workshops. For topics including economics, financial markets, competition, mergers and acquisitions, and politics, Barbara is an excellent choice.
