14 • November / December 2026• abasto.com •NEWS Abasto: What is the main message you want inter- national buyers to take away from Miami Beach this week? LL: I think when they are looking to celebrate, when they gather for dinner at their kitchen table, when they are watching a FIFA World Cup match, or when they are celebrating Día de los Muertos or another holiday in their home country, they should think about including Ameri- can foods as part of their celebrations. Because of the high quality, it will keep everyone at the table happy. Abasto: How is the USDA collaborating with ports, lo- gistics hubs, and distributors to ensure resilient and agile supply chains for fresh produce and specialty foods between the United States and Latin America? LL: Getting food from the farm to your table is vital. For example, in Guatemala, we have been investing U.S. re- sources through our Food for Progress program to help Guatemalan port operators increase the flow and efficien- cy of port operations. We have also been reviewing food safety inspections and helping train them on best practi- ces. These investments help facilitate trade and make it more efficient and effective when products leave Guate- mala for the United States, and vice versa. We are commi- tted to doing the same thing across the region. Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. U.S. businessman and diplomat based in South Dakota. He took office on August 2, 2025. Oversees the Foreign Agricultural Service and the U.S. Codex Office to reduce the agricultural trade deficit. Previously, Lindberg founded South Dakota Trade and served as its president, over- seeing the expansion of the state’s exports; he was chief of staff and chief strategy officer at the Export-Import Bank of the United States during the first Trump Admi- nistration; and he worked as a management consultant. He also served as a senior fellow at the America First Policy Institute. • Continúa de la pág. 12 Meet Luke J. Lindberg MORE ON LINDBERG AND THE AMERICAS FOOD AND BEVERAGE SHOW.