Scott Irwin, Ph.D.

Dr. Scott Irwin helps farmers in Illinois, the United States, and throughout the world make more informed production, marketing, and financial decisions by evaluating the economic factors that affect corn and soybean prices. He also leads farmdoc, a pathbreaking Extension project that provides timely, useful, and relevant online information about Corn Belt farm economics. 
More information: Dr. Scott H. Irwin, the Laurence J. Norton Chair of Agricultural Marketing at the University of Illinois, is a globally recognized leader in agricultural economics and multi-published author of commodity books. His influential research on commodity markets is sought after by academics, farmers, and policymakers alike. He’s a frequent media commentator for prestigious outlets like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. He has over 40,000 followers on social media, the largest following for an agricultural economist worldwide.
Irwin is best known for his work on commodity market speculation and biofuel policy, leading to invitations to testify before the U.S. Congress and the OECD. His vision and leadership have been a driving force behind the innovative farmdoc project that benefits farmers throughout the world. This award-winning project has been dubbed the “Wall Street Journal of ag business.”
He is a Fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA), the highest honor accorded to members. He has also received numerous AAEA awards for his contributions to research, extension, and policy. Dr. Irwin holds a B.S. in Agricultural Business from Iowa State University and earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University. Currently, he teaches courses on commodity price analysis. His lifelong fascination with commodity markets began in his childhood, accompanying his father to the local grain elevator to track the latest prices from ‘Chicago.’
Irwin is the author of three books, most recently Back to the Futures: Crashing dirt bikes, chasing cows, and unraveling the mystery of commodity futures markets, named one of the 100 best non-fiction books of 2023 by Inc. Magazine. 
Affiliations: Irwin is a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.