Derek was one of the first people to become a Circular Tayside Ambassador and we are extremely grateful for that as he has proved to be an exceptional source of information regarding the utilization of what is traditionally called “waste” in the agricultural industry. Derek started off his career as a chemist and that background led him to investigate the hidden value of waste – the proteins, fibres, macronutrients, fatty acids, colourants and literally hundreds of valuable natural compounds thrown away every day in the form of potato skins, fish heads, straw and many more. At the moment Derek holds the Chair of Food Chemistry in the Department of Engineering and Physical Science at Heriot Watt University, and is the AgriFood Sector Lead at the James Hutton Institute where his responsibilities lie in developing the research opportunities on agriculture, food and drink supply and value chains, production systems, biomass, waste valorisation and the (bio)circular economy. He has had an exceptional 30 year career and counts numerous publications on crop production, raw material composition and its utilization and many more. We are delighted to have him as a Circular Tayside Ambassador and very thankful for all the academic knowledge he shares with us and other businesses in the local area.
