Yuca Waarts holds and MSc in Agricultural and Environmental Economics from Wageningen University (2003) after which she worked at an NGO to ensure rural economic development while conserving or enhancing biodiversity. Yuca works at Wageningen University & Research since 2008 as a Senior Researcher and Project Manager for sustainable value chain development.

Yuca’s key topic of research is evaluating the impact of innovations and interventions such as certification, training programmes and service delivery aimed at smallholder producers and workers in developing countries, and their organisations. Evaluations she leads or has led include cocoa service delivery in evaluations in multiple countries for the private sector, tea program evaluations in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda and South Africa (Rooibos). She has also been involved in evaluations and sector studies in the cocoa, cotton, fruits, vegetables and palm oil sectors, in various countries in West Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Next to a scientist, she is an experienced project and program manager, working with partners and team members from all over the world. She delivers high quality research results in accessible reports and brochures as well as through face-to-face discussions, (virtual) seminars and professional and public conferences.