About

Dr. W. Scott Downey is a faculty member associated with the Department of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University. His research and professional focus are centered on farm policy, rural development, and agricultural economics. He is involved in the Farm Policy Study Group, which conducts presentations and discussions on various topics related to agricultural policy, farmland markets, renewable energy, and rural resilience. Dr. Downey's work contributes to understanding the evolving landscape of farm economics and policy, with an emphasis on practical implications for farmers, policymakers, and rural communities.

Research topics

• Business
• Marketing
• Industrial organization
• Psychology
• Advertising

Selected publications

• What Makes Business-to-Farm Sales Distinct? Evidence from Time Allocation and Salesperson Personas

  Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing · 2026-05-03

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Skills and Capabilities Needed for Agribusiness Graduates

  Applied Economics Teaching Resources · 2024-12-01

  articleOpen access

  Agribusiness significantly contributes to the US economy, employing about 22 million people. In 1987, the Agribusiness Management Aptitude and Skill Survey (AGRIMASS) assessed the skills desired by employers in undergraduate agribusiness majors. This study revisits the AGRIMASS survey, comparing its findings with the original 1987 results to identify shifts in employer preferences. A national survey of agribusiness professionals from over 14 sectors was conducted, and their perspectives were analyzed alongside the 1987 data. In addition, a factor analysis of AGRIMASS items identified 10 skill categories. The ranking of six skill categories remained unchanged from 1987 to 2023, with soft skills (Interpersonal and Communication Skills) consistently rated highest, followed distantly by Business and Economics Skills. The value of experiential learning, highlighted by Boland and Akridge (2004), has increased, emphasized by a higher score for work experience. While departments offering agribusiness programs have made strides in integrating business skills and experiential learning, progress in cultivating soft skills is less documented. To be positioned to build the future agribusiness workforce, it would be valuable for departments to consider conducting a curriculum mapping of their program relative to these industry-valued factors.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Who’s responsible here? US resident perceptions of food retailer social responsibility

  The International Food and Agribusiness Management Review · 2019-04-01 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) for prominent food retailers (Walmart, Costco, Kroger, Target, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and Amazon.com) were analyzed through best-worst scaling methodology, which resulted in a relative ranking of perceived CSR for each retailer. Seemingly unrelated regression was used to investigate determinants of CSR rankings by the sample of 299 US residents. Of the retailers included in this analysis, Whole Foods was perceived to be the most socially responsible (37%), followed by Trader Joe’s (16%). Respondent characteristics, including gender, children in household, knowledge of retail food business practices, and familiarity with particular food retailers were determinants of the relative CSR rankings. Understanding relationships between demographics and perceptions of food retailers contributes to understanding consumer preferences and demands, which may inform firm decisions.

  PublisherDOI

• The Brazilian cotton marketing initiative: ‘Sou de Algodão’ case

  The International Food and Agribusiness Management Review · 2018-06-13 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  This case shares the experience of Arlindo Moura, president of ABRAPA (Brazilian Association of Cotton Producers), who led the implementation of a plan to incentivize the use of cotton in Brazil. The plan was built after analyzing the relevant cotton value chain, which includes producers, spinners, textile manufacturers, clothing manufacturers, fashion influencers, universities and consumers. A network of service providers and supporters were aligned around the objective of growing the volume of cotton used throughout the chain. The case shows the strategy behind the campaigns and several promotional actions. Students are presented with challenges related to moving the effort forward following a successful program launch and are asked to consider what ABRAPA should consider in order to establish a continuous, long term and self-sustained effort of increasing cotton demand. Marketing, finance and governance issues are included.

  PublisherDOI

• BASF: differentiating on service innovation

  The International Food and Agribusiness Management Review · 2017-09-28 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  BASF is one of the leading companies in crop protection products. As with all of their competitors, BASF distributes their products to famers through a retailer in what is known as a three-tiered system. All manufacturers face similar challenges with this distribution system: to create user demand and to ensure product differentiation is conveyed by distributors and retailers. To help bridge the gap between chemical manufacturers and farmers, BASF has created the role of innovation specialist, a person who works to connect with both retailers and farmers. The goal is not only to help farmers increase efficiency and output, but also to grow the industry. BASF faces multiple challenges, including farmer skepticism and conflict with retailers. Despite these challenges, BASF has increased product sales and customer satisfaction, which is attributed to their use of innovation specialists.

  PublisherDOI

• Perceptions of Social Responsibility of Prominent Fast Food Restaurants

  Modern Economy · 2016-01-01 · 11 citations

  articleOpen access

  In this study, U.S. resident’s perceptions of social responsibility of prominent fast food restaurants were investigated. A survey conducted in April 2015 collected information from a sample targeted to be representative of the U.S. population. In total, 302 completed participant’s responses were analyzed (n = 302). Using a best-worst choice experiment question, participant’s choices for “most” and “least” socially responsible fast food restaurants were analyzed, resulting in individual’s relative perceptions of social responsibility amongst the restaurants studied. Results indicate that of the fast food restaurants studied, Panera Bread was perceived to be the most socially responsible restaurant, followed by Subway and Chick-fil-A. In contrast, McDonald’s, KFC, and Taco Bell were perceived to be the least socially responsible of the fast food restaurants studied. Additionally, relationships amongst participant’s perceptions of social responsibility in fast food, demographic factors, consumption practices, and knowledge of fast food business practices were analyzed. Significant relationships were found amongst “being female” and “self-reported knowledge of fast food business practices” with “perceptions of the social responsibility of fast food restaurants”.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Syngenta: Changing a Global Company

  AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · 2015-01-01

  articleOpen access

  Syngenta customers are facing increasing costs, price volatility and risk for their production. To help customers deal with these challenges, the company announced the integration of seed and crop protection in early 2011. The “One Syngenta” strategy had three objectives: Innovate, Integrate, and Outperform. In North America, the company’s second largest region, the company faced two challenges: the non-exclusive distributors Syngenta sells through would need to carry Syngenta’s message to farmers and the internal culture of Syngenta’s marketing organization in North America would have to shift from specialists to generalists. The specific objectives of this case are to understand the strategic change Syngenta made as it shifted from a product (seed and crop protection) focus to a crop-based focus, assess how a global business can “think like a grower” and move from a product leadership discipline to a customer intimacy discipline, and gain insights into the Syngenta employee, retailer and grower perceptions of the new strategy.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Serving Salesperson: Meeting Customer Needs With Practices of Servanthood

  International Journal of Servant-Leadership · 2013-01-01 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author

  I was taught to serve customers and to look to do whatever we could do to meet their needs. We ask them what their biggest challenges are and how we can help them-it goes beyond simply selling products....I try to be a humble servant even in the littlest of ways, calling them, telling them "I'm thinking about you."...People want to have a relationship with others who show a genuine caring attitude for them. -Packaging materials salesperson

  PublisherDOI

• Asynchronous Assessment in a Large Lecture Marketing Course

  Marketing Education Review · 2012-07-01 · 5 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Asynchronous assessment, which includes quizzes or exams online or outside class, offers marketing educators an opportunity to make more efficient use of class time and to enhance students' learning experiences by giving them more flexibility and choice in their assessment environment. In this paper, we examine the performance difference between asynchronous and synchronous assessment modes in a large lecture marketing course. The research uses an experimental approach to consider the access time, length of access, and mode effects among 256 undergraduate marketing students. The findings show similar means but a wider variation in asynchronous scores (online) than in synchronous scores. The results indicate that those who spend more time on the asynchronous assessment achieve higher scores.

  PublisherDOI

• How Large Commercial Producers Choose Input Suppliers: Expendable Products from Seed to Animal Health

  AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) · 2012-01-01 · 9 citations

  articleOpen access

  This study uses cluster analysis to identify buying behavior segments of commercial producers who purchase expendable products including seed, crop protection, animal health and feed. For the crop expendable products we find four buying behavior segments: Convenience, Price, Performance, and a fourth segment, called Balance buyers, who equally value the aforementioned factors as well as customer service and support services. For livestock expendable products we find three buying behavior segments: Balance, Price and Performance. We find that producers have product-specific buying behaviors and this is especially true for livestock producers. We discuss the implications of these customer segments for expendable input marketers and sales-people.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Candace Croney

  Purdue University West Lafayette

  5 shared

• Maud Roucan‐Kane

  Sam Houston State University

  3 shared

• Corinne E. Alexander

  Purdue University West Lafayette

  3 shared

• Nicole Olynk Widmar

  State Street (United States)

  3 shared

• Michael Boehlje

  Purdue University West Lafayette

  3 shared

• Allan W. Gray

  Purdue University System

  3 shared

• J. Morgan Carissa

  2 shared

• Stacey Schetzsle

  University of Tampa

  2 shared

Awards & honors

• James C. Snyder Memorial Lecture
• AGEC Distinguished Ag Alumni
• Purdue Ag Alumni Association