Luke Lindberg has been appointed the next Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), putting a U.S. agriculture and trade official at the helm of the world’s largest humanitarian organization. He takes over as WFP faces severe funding pressure while hundreds of millions of people continue to experience acute hunger.
WFP appoints Luke Lindberg as new chief
The appointment was announced Friday by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Qu Dongyu following consultations with the WFP Executive Board.
Congratulations to Luke J. Lindberg on his appointment as the next Executive Director of the World Food Programme. We look forward to working together in the fight against hunger. https://t.co/EYPMYKaNrD pic.twitter.com/XaYqpBsxkF
— World Food Programme (@WFP) September 18, 2026
Lindberg, 37, will succeed Cindy McCain, who announced in February that she would step down after suffering a stroke and deciding to focus on her recovery. Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau has served as acting executive director during the transition.
WFP described the leadership change as coming at an urgent moment for its work on hunger and humanitarian assistance. The agency estimates that as many as 266 million people are facing acute hunger, while funding constraints mean it expects to reach about 110 million people this year.
The agency operates in conflicts, disasters, and other emergencies across the world. It received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its efforts to combat hunger and contribute to peace in conflict-affected areas.
Who is Luke Lindberg?
Lindberg currently serves as Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. His work at USDA has focused on international agricultural trade and food assistance, giving him experience across agriculture, government, and international markets.
Before joining USDA, Lindberg founded and served as president of the South Dakota Trade Association, where he worked to expand international markets for exporters. He also served as chief of staff and chief strategy officer at the U.S. Export-Import Bank during the first Trump administration.
While critics argue that Lindberg does not have a conventional emergency-response background, his supporters point to his agriculture and food-assistance experience as relevant to WFP’s mandate.
Lindberg is also the son-in-law of U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune. His appointment followed a nomination by President Donald Trump and continues a longstanding pattern of American leadership at WFP. The United States has held the agency’s top position since 1992 and remains its largest donor.
Lindberg takes over amid funding pressure
Lindberg will inherit an organization dealing with a widening gap between humanitarian needs and available funding.
WFP relies heavily on voluntary contributions to finance food assistance and emergency operations. The agency’s projected reach of 110 million people this year reflects the effect of funding constraints at a time when its assessment puts the number facing acute hunger at 266 million.
The funding environment also comes after major changes in the international aid system. The Trump administration has pushed for reductions and restructuring across U.S. foreign assistance, culminating in the shuttering of USAID.
His appointment has drawn attention within the humanitarian sector partly because of that connection. Experts have raised concerns about what a Trump administration nominee could mean for WFP’s priorities. Back in June, the US donated over $800B to the WFP, cementing its place as the agency’s largest donor.
Lindberg is expected to serve a five-year term. He now faces the task of leading WFP’s response to hunger while managing relationships with governments and donors whose funding determines how many people the agency can reach.