Richard Keith Downey, (born January 26, 1927) is a Canadian agricultural scientist known for plant breeding and, as one of the originators of canola. He conducted his research at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and is largely responsible for transforming rapeseed into canola. His pioneering research has made him known as the "Father of Canola". Education Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, In 1951 he received a B.S.A. and in 1952 an M.Sc. from the University of Saskatchewan. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1961 and also received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1994. Career In 1951 Downey he started working for Agriculture Canada initially as an alfalfa breeder in Lethbridge, becoming in 1993 a Senior Research Scientist Emeritus. In 1993, he started his own firm and is president of Canoglobe Consulting Inc. He also worked as an adjunct professor in the University of Saskachewan College of Agriculture and Bioresources. Downey worked with Baldur Stefansson to develop a variety of rapeseed with low ratios of potentially harmful erucic acid and glucosinolates that could be used as an edible oil. This is known as canola and is one of Canada’s top edible oils and one of the largest oilseed crops in the world. At the time of Downey's work to develop canola, Canada was importing 95 per cent of its edible oils, so his research was an effort to save Canada's failing rapeseed industry, which had declined from 80,000 acres in 1948 to a 400 acres by 1950. Canola crop was first grown during World War II on the prairies to make industrial oil for the war effort, used as a lubricant on steam-powered ships and trains. It now rivals wheat as the leading moneymaker for Saskatchewan farmers. Canola now covers 20 million acres in Canada and contributes billions of dollars to the economy. Downey is the breeder and co-breeder of 13 rapeseed/canola varieties, five condiment mustard varieties, and one alfalfa variety. He has been breeding Brassica oilseed and mustard crops for more than 50 years. His oilseed improvement expertise has been shared around the world with missions to Pakistan, India, Ethiopia, Chile, Argentina, Poland, Egypt, and Australia. Downey retired in 1993, but continued as a research scientist emeritus at AAFC and an adjunct professor at the University of Sakatchewan. In 1998, "Downey Street" at a research and development park in Saskatoon was named