Dr Martin Watts

Martin joined the School as a postdoctoral researcher in July 2023, working on the Indian Food Systems for Improved Nutrition (INFUSION) project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). From 2026, Martin now divides his time with the ANH-funded Solar-Powered Interventions for Resilient and Equitable Food Systems (SPIRE-FS) project, which evaluates whether co-designed solar-powered technologies can reduce food loss and waste of nutrient-dense foods in Indian markets.

Martin’s research cuts across the themes of agricultural and food market systems, intervention design and evaluation, social-ecological systems, climate resilience, and nutrition and well-being in low-mid-income countries. Prior to joining the University of Sheffield, Martin worked on the UKRI GCRF Trade, Development and Environment (TRADE) Hub project, conducting research on the social impacts of coffee production and trade. Martin undertook his PhD in Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Southampton, where he used a socio-ecological systems approach to study the potential social and ecological impacts of climate change on tropical agroforestry systems in Tanzania. Martin holds two master’s degrees  - 1) an MSc in Environmental Change and International Development from the University of Sheffield, 2) an MSc in Social Research Methods from the University of Southampton – and a BSc in Physical Geography from the University of Hull.