JoAnne Buth

The Honourable JoAnne Buth, B.Sc., M.Sc.

JoAnne Buth has long been a passionate public servant, leader, and advocate for Canada's agriculture sector. She has led departments in Manitoba Agriculture, Soils, and Crops, and spent five years as the President of the Canola Council of Canada (after eight years as Vice-President). In recognition of her expertise in the agriculture sector and her service to the community, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Buth to the Canadian Senate, where she sat for two years with the Conservative caucus, representing Manitoba.

Buth is currently the CEO of the Canadian International Grains Institute (CIGI), a Winnipeg-based organization that works with the agricultural community worldwide in the promotion and utilization of Canadian field crops. CIGI’s mission is to create a global advantage for Canadian field crops through the delivery of technical expertise, support and customized training to the domestic industry and customers around the world.

Buth’s passion for agriculture took root at The University of Winnipeg, where she graduated in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. She went on to complete a Master’s in Science in entomology from the University of Manitoba. Since then, she has spent nearly four decades working in various capacities in the agriculture sector, becoming one of the faces of Canadian agriculture worldwide. Buth believes it is important to keep a focus on agriculture and where our food is coming from in Canada, as she stated upon assuming the leadership of CIGI: "This opportunity represents coming home to me as I come back to work in an industry that is so critical to Canada and to Canada’s reputation internationally".

Buth has served on many agriculture advisory committees in both private industry and government, including the Canada Grains Council and the Entomological Society of Manitoba. She has also served a variety of community organizations such as the Golden Prairie Arts Council, which promotes arts and cultural activities in rural Manitoba. For all of her service to farmers, the wider community and Canada’s agriculture sector — a cornerstone of Manitoba's economy — The University of Winnipeg Alumni Association is honoured to present JoAnne Buth with the Distinguished Alumni Award.