معرفی
Dr David Watts is an Advanced Research Fellow based at the Rowett Institute within the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition at the University of Aberdeen. He holds a BA, MSc, and PhD, and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Watts serves as a UCU appointed trustee director of the Universities Superannuation Scheme and has held various governance positions at the university including membership on the Court (governing body), Policy and Resources Committee, and Senate for the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition.
Watts' research explores intersections of economy, society and culture primarily through our relationships with food. His key research interests include food insecurity and its solutions, connections between economic circumstances and food consumption practices, and the construction of 'alternative' economic networks by consumers and producers. His work is informed by cultural political economy, with current focus on applying this perspective to smaller and micro-scales through engagement with Max Weber and Pierre Bourdieu. He also investigates the social construction of technologies, professional knowledges and practices, including the history of agricultural and food research, policy and researchers, and the cultural construction of hunting and 'peripheral' rural areas.
His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on Scottish food systems, security, and value addition. Watts has produced numerous reports and articles examining food support outlets in Scotland, consumer willingness to pay for value-added products like Specially Selected Pork, and the distribution of food insecurity. His work spans multiple disciplines including public health, agricultural economics, social sciences, and environmental science, with particular emphasis on food policy, socioeconomic determinants of dietary practices, and sustainable food systems.
Watts serves as Principal Investigator on two major Government-funded research projects: Building food security in Scotland (2022-27) and Costs and opportunities for Scottish products with higher value status (2022-27). He has supervised numerous PhD students including Kieran Fowler and Ming Gao, with completed projects covering topics such as domestic food practices, food security governance, and business social media use by rural tourism enterprises. His research has been funded by the Scottish Government's Environment, Agriculture and Food Strategic Research Programme, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland.
Based at the Rowett Institute, Watts collaborates extensively with researchers across multiple institutions including the James Hutton Institute and works closely with policy makers through his SEFARI (Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutes) Gateway projects. His office is located in Room 4.044 at the Rowett Institute, Foresterhill, Aberdeen.
