Washington backs USDA official as candidate for WFP top post

The United States has announced its support for the candidacy of Luke J Lindberg of South Dakota for the post of executive director at the United Nations World Food Program (WFP).

Luke J Lindberg is currently the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the American version of the agricultural and food ministry.

At the USDA, he oversees the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program and Food for Progress program, and has worked to restructure the Food for Peace program through an innovative, accountable model, the US Department of State said in a statement on Wednesday.

To this end, Lindberg brings exceptional qualifications to the role of WFP executive director, the statement said.

His experience managing large-scale operations and expertise navigating complex international partnerships demonstrate proven operational excellence at the scale required for WFP leadership, the US statement added.

Throughout his career, Under Secretary Lindberg has demonstrated the strategic vision, geopolitical insight, and focus on accountability that are necessary to lead WFP in delivering emergency food assistance, the statement further said.

In the statement, the US government also expressed gratitude to the outgoing WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain for her years of service and dedication.

The United States has been WFP’s largest donor and strongest advocate since its founding in 1961 with the help of then South Dakota Senator George McGovern. Our support for Luke J Lindberg’s candidacy demonstrates the US commitment to keeping the WFP focused on its core mission: feeding those in need, the statement noted.