By Luke J. LINDBERG
“This is our monthly ration,” a father told me, surrounded by his family, as he held aloft a bucket three-quarters full of millet. I still have vivid memories of that visit to Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya – especially the malnourished children’s ward in the camp hospital – and of how I saw life-saving products like ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), agricultural products and market-based assistance reach families displaced by violence in the Horn of Africa. Recently, I visited a World Food Programme distribution centre near Gaza, just weeks after a ceasefire framework was signed, where the scale, complexity and urgency of the mission were undeniable. During these trips, I also saw women and girls who often eat the least and are the last to be disproportionately affected.
Experiences like these have shaped my understanding of what is at stake: not just distributing food, but saving lives. Today, hunger is on the rise, with almost 320 million people facing acute food insecurity. Conflict, weather, and economic instability are putting unprecedented pressure on the world. At the same time, the world produces enough food to feed every person on the planet. With knowledge at our fingertips, our expectations for transparency and effectiveness are rising. That is the challenge ahead: not one of production, but one of distribution, coordination, and collective will.
The United Nations World Food Programme is at the heart of this effort. It is the only organization with a humanitarian imperative, with the operational reach, logistical capacity, deep partnerships and global trust needed to deliver aid in the most complex and dangerous environments. Its work represents the best of multilateral cooperation – where nations come together to serve those most in need. In all donor countries, taxpayers rightly expect their contributions to be used with efficiency, transparency and measurable impact. In beneficiary communities, families depend on systems that are accountable, reliable and capable of reaching them, no matter how remote or precarious their circumstances. These expectations are not contradictory; they are compatible. A more effective and accountable system is one that ultimately serves more people, faster.
But responding to this moment will require strong and decisive leadership now—and it is what our staff, donors, beneficiaries, and the cause deserve. In my work in government, global finance, and multinational health care, I have focused on improving institutional delivery of results at scale, streamlining operations, strengthening accountability, and ensuring that aid reaches those who need it most. As Undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, I mobilized a team of staff across the United States and in 100 countries around the world to streamline U.S. programs—Food for Peace, Food for Progress, and the McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition—to deliver humanitarian assistance faster and build long-term sustainability. In my first six months on the job, I led our team to distribute $864 million across 40 countries. For me, the goal was simple: more effectiveness, more transparency, and better outcomes for the people who rely on us the most.
No country can meet this challenge alone, nor should it. America First, in fact, has never meant America Alone. Since its founding, under the decisive leadership of Senator George McGovern, also of South Dakota, the World Food Program’s fight against hunger has been a shared responsibility—a responsibility that depends on cooperation, coordination, and continued commitment across the international system.
As the United Nations considers the next executive director of the World Food Programme, I believe this is a moment for leadership that is both principled and practical. Leadership that can unite Member States. Leadership that can build trust and deliver results at scale. And, leadership that can inspire the current global staff and the next generation of humanitarians. The World Food Programme deserves leadership that will respond to this moment with urgency, credibility and determination, and I would be honored and humbled to serve humanity in this noble task. No person, anywhere in the world, should go to bed hungry. This is not just an aspiration; I will ensure that together we make it a reality.