Richard Keith Downey, OC SOM FRSC (born January 26, 1927) is a Canadian agricultural scientist and, as one of the originators of canola, became known as the "Father of Canola". 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. In 1951 he started working for Agriculture Canada, becoming in 1993 a Senior Research Scientist Emeritus. In 1993, he started his own firm and is president of Canoglobe Consulting Inc.