The National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council today welcomed the appointment of Luke Lindberg to serve as executive director of the United Nations’ World Food Programme.

Statement from Gregg Doud, President and CEO of NMPF:

“U.S. dairy farmers are proud to support the nutrition needs of billions worldwide, including through global food aid packages that incorporate nutrient-dense dairy ingredients. The work that Under Secretary Lindberg will lead with the World Food Programme (WFP) is instrumental in supporting those most in need. His appointment is an exceptional choice in advancing the WFP’s important mission into the future. We encourage him to incorporate additional U.S. dairy products in the Programme’s initiatives and we look forward to continuing to work alongside him in this new role.”

Statement from Krysta Harden, President and CEO of USDEC:

“While we will certainly miss Under Secretary Lindberg’s leadership at USDA, we congratulate him on this important new opportunity. The U.S. dairy community has long supported international humanitarian efforts to combat malnutrition and reach the most vulnerable among us, but we believe incorporation of dairy in these critical packages has been underutilized, particularly given the nutrient-dense nature of our products. Under Secretary Lindberg’s impressive experience and talent will be an asset in leading the World Food Programme (WFP) to a new frontier. USDEC is excited to collaborate with him in supporting WFP’s critical work around the globe and explore opportunities to increase the availability of U.S. dairy products for WFP’s humanitarian efforts.”