UN appoints US agriculture official Luke Lindberg to head the World Food Program

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations announced the appointment Friday of U.S. agriculture official Luke Lindberg to head the World Food Program, the U.N. food agency that calls itself “the world’s frontline responder to hunger” in conflicts, crises and emergencies around the world.

Lindberg, the son-in-law of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, is now the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs. He will replace Cindy McCain as executive director of the Rome-based World Food Program.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Qu Dongyu made the joint announcement after WFP’s board confirmed it agreed with the appointment.

Lindberg, 37, will take the helm of WFP as it struggles to raise money to help feed tens of millions of people in need. The agency, which relies on donations, says as many as 266 million people are facing acute hunger, but it is aiming to help just 110 million this year because of funding cuts.

The United States has for many years been the largest donor to the U.N. food agency, and the job heading it has gone to an American since the early 1990s.

Lindberg has been in his USDA role for just over a year, and President Donald Trump nominated him to head the World Food Program.

A native of South Dakota, Lindberg founded and served as president of the South Dakota Trade Association, overseeing the expansion of exports from the state. He also served as chief of staff and chief strategy officer of the U.S. Export-Import Bank in the first Trump administration.

Guterres and Qu expressed deep appreciation to McCain, widow of late Arizona senator and Republican presidential nominee John McCain, “for her leadership and dedicated service to WFP.” She stepped down in February after suffering a mild stroke in October 2025.

“She has led the program through one of the most demanding periods in its history, serving as a steadfast voice for people affected by conflict, disaster and severe hunger — and for the courageous personnel serving them on the front lines,” they said in a joint statement.

Guterres and Qu also expressed appreciation to Carl Skau, the food agency’s deputy executive director, who will continue in that job until Lindberg takes over. Skau has been acting chief since McCain left.