Adjunct Professor & Researcher in Modelling Agricultural Policies - University of Parma (UNIPR) [ 1 Oct 2023 – Current ] Elective, cross-disciplinary course unit, Laurea Magistrale (Master's Degree):
• Designed and delivered the course unit "Modelling Agricultural Policies," an elective, cross-disciplinary module open to Master's degree students
• Provided students with an overview of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), including its financing mechanisms and its evolution towards greater environmental integration
• Developed students' theoretical and practical skills in mathematical programming for analysing the impact of agricultural and agri-environmental policies at farm level
• Taught the rationale and methodology for ex-ante evaluation of agri-environmental policies
• Delivered lectures on the theory of mathematical programming applied to agricultural economics
• Guided students in building mathematical programming models using commercially available software, including Excel and GAMS
• Combined theoretical instruction with hands-on modelling exercises to strengthen students' applied policy- analysis competencies.
Research Fellow - Agent-Based Modelling of EU Agricultural Policy Impacts - University of Parma (UNIPR) [ 1 Feb 2025 – Current ]
Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability (SCVSA), University of Parma (UNIPR), Italy
• Conducting research on "Analysis of the environmental impacts of EU agricultural policies through the agent-based model AGRISP", within the scientific-disciplinary sector AGRI-01/A (Agricultural, Food and Rural Appraisal Economics)
• Developing and applying the AGRISP agent-based model to simulate and assess the environmental consequences of EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) measures at farm and territorial level
• Analysing policy scenarios to evaluate trade-offs between agricultural production, farm economic performance, and environmental sustainability outcomes
• Contributing to the C+AgroForER project (co-funded by the European Union through Emilia-Romagna Regional funds), focused on the sustainable management of agroforestry systems, soil quality, ecosystem services and carbon sequestration in the Emilia-Romagna region
• Producing scientific outputs (reports, data analyses, presentations) and lecturing at conferences to support academic and project-related dissemination.
Primary Investigator - PANACEA Project - Parma Sostenibile – Parma, Italy [ 1 May 2026 – Current ]
The PRIMA project PANACEA promotes the adoption of a healthy, sustainable, local Mediterranean diet during the perinatal period, which encompasses pregnancy and the first four months after birth. Based on theexperience developed with Mercatiamo, Parma Sostenibile's role in PANACEA is to design and deliver short food supply chain (SFSC) strategies and foster local sustainable transitions and citizen empowerment through place-based food and sustainability campaigns.
Main responsibilities:
• Define and oversee the scientific direction of our team's tasks and deliverables.
• Ensure quality and integrity of research outputs and data.
• Contribute results to the consortium's shared objectives.
• Supervise and coordinate the work of our project coordinator and researcher.
• Manage our team's budget and ensure compliance with PRIMA and national funding rules.
• Report scientific and financial progress to the consortium at agreed milestones.
• General Assembly Representative.
Website: https://www.parmasostenibile.it/
President and Co-founder - Parma Sostenibile – Parma, Italy [ Sep 2014 – Current ]
• Provide strategic leadership and governance for a non-profit association promoting sustainable production, lifestyles, and business models.
• Oversee overall management, including financial planning, fundraising, institutional relations, and public tenders.
• Manage human resources, coordinating staff, volunteers, and multi-stakeholder project teams.
• Ensure organisational sustainability through diversified funding, participatory governance, and impact assessment.
• Guide strategic partnerships with local institutions, universities, and civil society to advance agroecology and sustainable food systems.
• Launched MercaTiAmo (2014), engaging ~30 organic farmers through weekly markets under a Participatory Guarantee System (IFOAM-based)
H2020 Project Coordinator - University of Parma – Parma, Italy [ 31 Aug 2021 – 30 Jun 2024 ]
• Oversaw operational management, monitoring, and control of the Horizon 2020 project AGRICORE, assessing the economic and environmental impact of agricultural and environmental policies.
• Conducted research and characterisation of socio-economic datasets, coordinated researchers and interns, and contributed to the development of the Agricultural Research Data Index Tool (ARDIT), including governance design, ontology alignment, and data processing workflows.
• Supported the creation of a recursive, positive-normative, non-linear agent-based model and related interfaces.
• Disseminated project results, engaged policymakers, and achieved recognition as Subject Matter Expert, ensuring continued involvement as a stakeholder in line with PhD research.
Project Manager - DOCOMO Digital, Milan and Parma, Italy [ 31 Mar 2015 – 30 Dec 2016 ]
Managed the data migration from SharePoint 2007 to a highly customised version of on-line SharePoint 2013, covering all phases of the project life cycle, from requirement gathering, development, migration and go-live, dealing with internal stakeholders and suppliers, reporting to upper management; planning and budget tracking.
Senior Consultant - CGI (cgi.com) – Brussels, Belgium [ Mar 1999 – Oct 2012 ]
Several internal and external assignments, varying from Business Analyst to Product Manager, Project Manager and Team Manager, filling positions of increasing management responsibility, acquiring extensive expertise in all phases of the project lifecycle. Most relevant:
• CRM Team Manager at Belgacom (now www.proximus.be): leading a team of approx. 25 people on site and offshore. Team Mission: managing and controlling the CRM applications (e-services and customer support) following the ITIL methodology, guaranteeing stability and high level of performances.
• Project Manager: manage from scope definition to implementation of a project aiming at fully integrating fix line customers into a loyalty platform. This project served as pilot for the implementation of a new (at the time) agile software development methodology.
• Product Manager at Proximus managing from conception to "go to market" of promotions targeting residential customers: gathered requirements, assessed feasibility and followed up on technical implementation. In charge of long-term project implementations, process improvements and redesign.
• University Relationship Manager, filling strategic recruitment needs and developing relationships with selected campuses across Europe.
Consultant - Career International (careersinternational.com) – Brussels, Belgium [ Sep 1995 – Apr 1999 ]
As Project Manager: planning and organisation of international recruiting events in Milan, Moscow and Vienna (approx. 30 companies and 500 pre-selected candidates). Additional tasks included marketing the project and coordinating the attraction campaign (negotiated partnership agreement with 13 media in the region) by establishing contacts and networking with universities in Eastern Europe. Choosing and managing suppliers, liaising with clients and coordinating the sales team at European level.
As Business Development Manager: sole responsible of the commercialisation of EMDS services in Italy.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
PhD in Agricultural Economics - Università degli Studi di Firenze and Parma - Department of Chemistry Life Sciences and Environment [31 Oct 2021 – 9 May 2025 ]
Field(s) of study: Ecology and Agricultural Economics; Thesis: Predicting the effect of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) measures on the supply of ecosystem services (ESS) through positive agent-based modelling.
Master’s Degree in Science and Technology for the Environment and Resources - Univeristà di Parma [ Aug 2018 – 22 Apr 2021 ] Final grade: 110/110L
Thesis: The Water Footprint of organic supply chain and quality food chains (Food Quality Schemes)
Bachelor’s Degree in Natural and Environmental Sciences - Università di Parma [ Aug 2015 – Jul 2018 ] Final grade: 102/110 | Level in EQF: EQF level 6
Thesis: Small reservoirs as a measure of adaptation to water scarcity: hydrological and ecological aspects.
Master’s Degree in Political Sciences and International Economics - Università degli Studi di Milano [ Sep 1989 – Oct 1995 ]
Thesis: International direct investment in China In this course Mrs. Baldi analysed and interpreted the economic, financial and political context in which national and international decisions are taken, both by public organisations and by private firms and organisations;
PUBLICATIONS
[2026] Reflections on linking economic equilibrium models with agent-based models in the context of land use Linking computable general or partial equilibrium models with agent-based models.
Authors: Schmidt, A.; Appel; F. Arfini; Argueyrolles, R.; Baldi, L.; Filatova, T.; Finger, R.; Ge, J.; Grujić, N.; Heckelei, T. et al. | Journal Name: Socio-Environmental Systems Modelling | Volume, Issue and Pages: 8, 18872 | Publisher: International Environmental Modelling and Software Society
[2025] How Milk Quotas and the CAP Affect GI Systems: The Case of Parmigiano Reggiano
Authors: Giannecchini, A., Baldi, L., Donati, M., & Arfini, F. | Journal Name: Bio-Based and Applied Economics.
[2024] Predicting the effect of the Common Agricultural Policy post-2020 using an agent-based model based on PMP
Authors: Baldi L., Calzolai S., Arfini F., Donati M. Bio-Based and Applied Economics, 13(4), 333–351. https://doi.org/10.36253/bae-14592
[2023] An Impact Assessment of GHG Taxation on Emilia-Romagna Dairy Farms through an Agent-Based Model Based on PMP
Authors: Baldi, L.; Arfini, F.; Calzolai, S.; Donati, M. Land, 12, 1409. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071409
[2023] Economic Impact of Short Food Supply Chains: A Case Study in Parma (Italy)
Authors: Filippini R.; Arfini F.; Baldi L.; Donati M. Sustainability, 15, 11557. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511557
[2023] The European agro-economic model AROPAj This publication presents the European agro-economic AROPAj model
Authors: Pierre-Alain Jayet, Athanasios Petsakos, Raja Chakir, Anna Lungarska, Stéphane De Cara, et al.. The European agro-economic model AROPAj. INRAE-PSAE. 2025, 220 p. ⟨hal-04109872v4⟩
[2022] Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS): a tool to improve the effectiveness of Geographical Indications in short food supply chains; the case of Parma Bio-district Conference Paper
Authors: Maccari M., Guareschi M., Baldi L. Mancini M., Arfini F.
OTHER EDUCATION AND TRAININGS
[ 25 Sep 2023 – 28 Sep 2023 ] CAPRI TutorApplied Data Analysis: Introduction to and Application of the Partial Equilibrium Model CAPRI in Market and Policy Analysis
Thünen Institute
[ 6 Sep 2023 – 8 Sep 2023 ] Introduction to GAMS Modelling Language
Thünen Institute
[ Dec 2012 – Jun 2013 ] Diplôme en Gestion du Développement Durable
ICEHC Link: https://www.ichec.be/fr
[ Aug 2006 – Mar 2007 ] International Diploma in Business Analysis by BCS
The Chartered Institute for IT Link: https://www.bcs.org/
[ Dec 2004 – Jun 2005 ] ITIL Foundation Certificate
ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library)
[ Jan 2002 – May 2002 ] Project Management Foundation
CGI - Corporate training
