Marcel Groleau named Honorary Degree recipient in the Faculty of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
Ten exceptional individuals will receive honorary degrees from McGill as part of Spring 2024 Convocation ceremonies. This year’s recipients represent a diverse array of leaders whose contributions span disciplines, industries, and continents.
McGill grants honorary degrees – the highest honours conferred by the University – to individuals who have lifetime records of outstanding scholarly, scientific, or artistic achievement, or of exceptional contributions to the public good through professional or philanthropic activity.
Spring 2024 Convocation for students graduating in the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences will take place on June 5, with ceremonies at 10am and 2:30pm, with the honorary doctorate being presented in the afternoon.
Marcel Groleau: Doctor of Science, honoris causa (D.Sc.)
Faculty of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences (June 5, 2:30 p.m.)
Having grown up on the family dairy farm in Thetford Mines, Quebec, Marcel Groleau champions policies that support sustainable agriculture, rural development, and the well-being of farming communities.
Groleau joined the board of the Syndicat des producteurs de lait de Québec in 1990; and the board of the Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec in 1992, where he became president in 2004. In 2005, Groleau joined the Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA), serving as president from 2011 until 2021.
Today, Groleau is president of UPA DI – an international cooperative of 15 countries to promote a strong family agricultural sector. He is also President of the Feeding Humanity Sustainably Coalition, which brings together 60 member organizations and works to ensure food access and security. In 2023, Groleau was inducted into the Canadian Agricultural Hall of Fame.
McGill grants honorary degrees – the highest honours conferred by the University – to individuals who have lifetime records of outstanding scholarly, scientific, or artistic achievement, or of exceptional contributions to the public good through professional or philanthropic activity.