Martin van Ittersum

Dr. Martin van Ittersum serves as Professor at the Plant Production Systems group of Wageningen University & Research, where he has established himself as a prominent researcher in agricultural systems analysis and global food security. After earning his PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Science from Wageningen University, he has focused on developing research concepts and methods for analyzing and designing agricultural systems from field to global levels. As leader of the Global Yield Gap Atlas project since 2011, he has been instrumental in mapping opportunities for increasing agricultural production on existing farmland. His work spans multiple critical areas including global food availability, integrated assessment of agricultural systems, yield gap analysis, phosphorus scarcity, climate change, and circular food systems. He has co-chaired multiple editions of the International Conference on Global Food Security and will chair the 5th edition in 2024 in Leuven. Since 2022, he holds a visiting professorship at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, spending two months there annually. His significant impact on the field is reflected in his status as a highly-cited researcher since 2015, with over 200 publications in international scientific journals. As a member of the Academic Board of Wageningen University since 2020, he continues to shape agricultural research and education while supervising numerous MSc and PhD students from across the globe. His research integrates concepts of sustainable intensification, resource use efficiency, and environmental impact assessment to address critical challenges in global food production.