ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Howard G. Buffett is Chairman and CEO of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, one of the largest private charitable foundations in the United States. A farmer, businessman, former elected official, photographer, law enforcement officer, and philanthropist, he has dedicated his life to finding solutions for some of the world's most serious and intractable problems, including hunger, conflict, wildlife trafficking, border security and public safety.

The Howard G. Buffett Foundation invests primarily in global food security, conflict mitigation, combatting human trafficking and public safety.

Mr. Buffett manages a 1,500-acre family farm in central Illinois and farms 400 acres in Nebraska. He oversees multiple foundation-operated research farms in Arizona, Illinois, and Nebraska totaling 9,500 acres and, for 10 years, was responsible for a 9,200 acre research farm in South Africa. Mr. Buffett oversees two ranches in Arizona, one ranch in New Mexico, and one farm in Texas, three of these being situated on the U.S./Mexico border.

Mr. Buffett was appointed Sheriff of Macon County, Illinois on September 15, 2017, confirmed by the Macon County Board on November 9, 2017 and served out his term until its expiration on November 30, 2018. He currently serves as Undersheriff of the Christian County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois and Volunteer Deputy Commander of the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona and was an Auxiliary Deputy for the Christian County Sheriff’s Office and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois for a cumulative five years. In 2015, he was presented the National Sheriffs’ Association Medal of Merit for his support to the field of law enforcement & criminal justice, in 2016, named an honorary member of the National Sheriffs’ Association, and in 2017, received the High Sheriff Award, the highest award presented by the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association.

Mr. Buffett currently serves on the corporate board of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. He has served on the boards of Archer Daniels Midland, The Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc., ConAgra Foods, Lindsay Corporation, Agro Tech Foods, and Sloan Implement. He has served in several senior corporate executive positions and has served in elected office in Nebraska.

Mr. Buffett is a former member of the Commission on Presidential Debates and has served as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Against Hunger on behalf of the World Food Programme. Mr. Buffett has received the Aztec Eagle Award from the President of Mexico, the highest honor bestowed on a foreign citizen by the Government of Mexico, the Fe en la Causa Medal from the government of Colombia, the highest honor bestowed upon a civilian by the Colombian Military, the Igihango National Order of Outstanding Friendship Medal from the government of Rwanda, one of the country’s highest honors, the Order of San Carlos by Colombian President Iván Duque Márquez, which honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the nation of Colombia, especially in the field of international relations and the Certificate of Merit for Distinguished Service to the Ukrainian People from the Ukraine Parliament.

He has also been honored over the years for his leadership and contributions to agriculture, conservation, philanthropy, and journalism; including being recognized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture as one of the most distinguished individuals in the field of agriculture as well as being awarded the World Ecology Award, the National Farmers Union Meritorious Service to Humanity Award, the Leader in Agriculture Award from Agriculture Future of America, the Special Service Award from the Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development, the Norman E. Borlaug award from CIMMYT, the Leadership in Science Public Service Award from the American Society of Plant Biologists, and the Will Owen Jones Distinguished Journalist of the Year Award.

Mr. Buffett has traveled to 150 countries and authored 15 books on conservation, wildlife, and the human condition, including the New York Times bestseller 40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World and Our 50-State Border Crisis: How the Mexican Border Duels the Drug Epidemic Across America. Mr. Buffett is the executive producer of Virunga, an award-winning and Academy Award-nominated documentary about Africa's oldest national park, and The River and the Wall , a documentary focused on the impact of a physical border wall on the Texas-Mexico border region.

Read more

Book reviews

Howard G. Buffett is one of the most brilliant, outside-the-box thought leaders I’ve ever met... All writers have biases. Howard’s bias is for facts.

Howard paints a high-definition picture of the border that he has lived as a ranch owner, a law enforcement officer, a humanitarian, and as a photographer….. Our 50-State Border Crisis is a book for readers who are deeply concerned about the safety and security of the United States and want to understand how we can better achieve it. For best results, check your ideology and preconceptions at the door.

The Honorable Heidi Heitkamp, Senator for North Dakota.

One of the most important myths Howard explodes in this book is that you are either a humanitarian who cares about immigrants, or you are a hard-hearted border security advocate.

Howard forges another path: He is a big-hearted realist, and he is a nonpartisan security advocate who believes deeply in the rule of law…..He makes the argument that a strong, secure border both keeps us safe and erodes the ability of the drug cartels to exploit vulnerable people on both sides…. It’s tempting to turn away from difficult realities. Howard makes it his business to lean in, understand, and then act.

Cindy McCain. Chair, Human Trafficking Advisory Council, The McCain Institute for International Leadership.

In this well-written, in-depth analysis, Buffett links the U.S. drug epidemic to the use of the border by Mexican drug cartels.

Politicians may consider them separate issues, but Buffett's discussions with ranchers, migrants, Border Patrol and other law enforcement officials show readers that the two are inextricably entwined.

Shelf Awareness

Crossing Photographic Journey

Through this photographic journey, Buffett aims to bring real world context into the controversial discussions around the U.S. border and immigration. When political leaders and the press focus on the most provocative aspects of the debate and less on why people are leaving, they lose sight of the risks these people are willing to take to reach the U.S. and to build a better life for themselves and their families. Buffett also hopes to demonstrate the unique and diverse culture of the American Southwest, and the incredible character of the people who support one another through difficult times in the region.

Visit Crossing Photographic Journey

Border Security Index

Learn more