WFP Goodwill Ambassadors, Advocates and High-Level Supporters

Filtering R&B and pop through an ambitious widescreen lens, The Weeknd took over popular music and culture on his own terms. The multi-platinum and Diamond certified star is one of the most listened to artists in the world on Spotify (over 68 billion streams) and is a top 10 artist of all time for RIAA singles. Alongside his gilded musical career, he’s graced the covers of TIME, Forbes, Variety, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, and GQ along with late night TV stages with heralded performances on SNL, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and the VMA’s where he accepted the awards for Video of the Year and Best R&B and most impactfully as the solo headliner of the 2021 Super Bowl LV. He walked away from The Billboard Music Awards with 9 trophies including Top Artist along with notable wins and performances at the acclaimed Brit Awards and iHeart Music Awards. In recent times he has made acting appearances in TV and film with 2019’s film Uncut Gems as well as starring in and co-writing an episode of the hit show American Dad. He generously shares, with over $3M in donations in 2020 and 2021 so far to various charities with a recent $1 million dollar donation to help with the crisis in Ethiopia. The continuous record breaking of charts, sales and streams, headlining the biggest festivals and stadiums in the world including this year’s Super Bowl, and his ever mysterious public persona combined solidifies The Weeknd as one of the most compelling and significant artists of the 21st century.

Andrew Zimmern is an Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, writer and social justice advocate. As the creator, executive producer and host of Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods franchise, Andrew Zimmern’s Driven by Food and Emmy-winning The Zimmern List, he has devoted his life to exploring and promoting cultural acceptance, tolerance and understanding through food. In 2020, Andrew returned to television with his MSNBC series What's Eating America, and in 2021, he premiered Family Dinner on Chip & Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Network. In 2022, Andrew Zimmern’s Wild Game Kitchen will premiere on the Outdoor Channel. All three shows were created by Intuitive Content, the full-service television and digital production company that Andrew heads as both founder and CEO. In 2021, Intuitive Content was named one of the top 100 production companies in the world by Realscreen. Andrew is also the founder and CEO of Passport Hospitality, a restaurant and food service development company. He is passionate about his philanthropic endeavors and sits on the board of directors of Services for the UnderServed, Project Explorer/EXPLR, Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project and Soigne Hospitality. He serves on City Harvest’s Food Council, is the International Rescue Committee’s Voice for Nutrition and a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nation’s World Food Programme. Andrew is also a founding member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, fighting to save restaurants affected by Covid-19. He resides in Minneapolis.

Anne is an award-winning Japanese actress, narrator, and popular TV personality, appearing in movies, TV drama, high-profile printing ads and TV commercials. Starting out her career as a model in 2001, she appeared in a number of fashion shows in New York and Paris. She was selected as one of “100 Japanese People the World Respects,” by the Japanese version of Newsweek in 2006. As her first initiative with WFP, Anne voiced TV and radio commercial broadcast nationwide in Japan as part of a public-welfare ad campaign, known as AC Japan. The commercial featuring WFP drew attention to the world’s hungry children who are affected by conflict, climate change and COVID-19.

Amal Dabbas is a Jordanian famous actress nominated as WFP’s Goodwill Ambassador in 2010, to assist WFP in public advocacy and raising support for the work of WFP and the people we serve. She has a great influence on people and an excellent reputation regionally through hundreds of plays and TV drama serials. Born on 29 April 1965 in Jordan, Ms. Dabbas is a winner of the Independence Medal (First Degree) presented by HM Late King Hussein ibn Talal and TV Award for Performance Excellency. In 1994, she received the Key to the State of California as an award for Performance Excellence in Theater. She was the first Jordanian actress to participate actively in radio, TV, and theatre locally. She has received large number of awards locally & regionally and currently representing Jordan at the International Free Theatre Nights Festival. She has helped in several charity events, such as King Hussein Foundation and WFP’s fundraising campaigns.

Antoni Porowski is an Emmy Award-winning producer, TV host, culinary expert, and New York Times bestselling author known for starring in the critically acclaimed Netflix series Queer Eye.  He is the executive producer and host of National Geographic’s upcoming docuseries No Taste Like Home, which features a star-studded cast of celebrity friends who join Antoni on a global culinary adventure to learn about their heritages through ancestral food traditions.  Born in Canada to European immigrants with Polish roots, Antoni was raised with a deep interest and appreciation for diverse cultures, cuisines, and the power of food to bring people together. As a Goodwill Ambassador, Antoni will continue to bring visibility to WFP’s life-saving food assistance and resilience programs, which support more than 150 million people across 120 countries. These programs include emergency food assistance, climate-smart agricultural training for small-scale farmers, and the world’s largest global school meals program.

Photo: Paul Brissman

Award-winning actor Daniel Brühl has been involved in several critically acclaimed film and television projects and has garnered international recognition for his talent and versatility. He had his final breakthrough with the 2003 internationally acclaimed “Good Bye, Lenin!”for which he received several awards. Quentin Tarantino brought him to Hollywood for “Inglorious Basterds” and for Ron Howard's film “Rush” Brühl played the Austrian Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda, earning a nomination as Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globe Awards 2014. Films such as “The Fifth Estate” and “The First Avenger: Civil War” followed as well as the hit series “The Alienist” and “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier”.

Currently Daniel Brühl’s directorial debut “Next Door” is in theatres. The script was written by best-selling author Daniel Kehlmann based on the idea of Brühl. He also produced and stars in the movie. In addition, he runs the international film production company Amusement Park Film with his partner Malte Grunert, has published two books, and owns the Spanish tapas bar “Bar Raval” in the heart of Berlin.

He is a member of the Oscar Academy and received the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres) in France.

George Stroumboulopoulos is a television and radio interviewer, actor, media producer, and humanitarian. His Apple Music radio show, STROMBO, is heard in over 160 countries worldwide. He is an award-winning broadcaster who hosted, and executive produced the talk shows, George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight and The Hour on Canada's national broadcaster, the CBC. His past work includes the show, Stroumboulopoulos on CNN and was the anchor on Hockey Night in Canada. George was also the host of Canada's premier culture show, The New Music. In addition to being Canada's first WFP Goodwill Ambassador, he also started the George Stroumboulopoulos Music Therapy Scholarship helping fund education for therapists; and works with Artists for Peace and Justice, the Prince’s Trust Canada, Innocence Canada, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition and the Michael J. Fox Foundation. George has an Honorary Doctorate of Laws at the University of Calgary and was recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader.

Kate Hudson is a Golden Globe Award winner and Academy Award-nominated actress, producer, entrepreneur, and bestselling author. She is best known for her roles in “Almost Famous,” “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” and “Bride Wars,” which she also produced, and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in “Music.” In 2013, ‎Kate co-founded Fabletics, a global active-lifestyle brand with a mission to offer premium activewear at an accessible price. She is an ambassador for WW and recently introduced her own gluten-free, non-GMO vodka, King St. Kate’s wellness empire also includes her line of all-natural holistic nutritional supplements, INBLOOM. She and her brother, Oliver Hudson, host the podcast, “Sibling Revelry.” Aside from WFP, Kate’s many charitable and humanitarian affiliations include The Hawn Foundation’s MindUP program, Baby2Baby, Operation Smile, and numerous other organizations dedicated to protecting the rights and well-being of women and children and education around the world.

Chef Manal Alalem is a Dubai-based professional chef and TV host. Throughout her career, Manal has encouraged women’s involvement in the culinary industry by leading specialized culinary courses for women as well as setting up the Manal Club - a network of 6,000 women from across the Arab world who take part in culinary festivals, shows and competitions. In 2017, Manal Alalem was selected as one of the ten most influential Arab women in social media, by the "Forbes" magazine, and in 2016, she was chosen as the most Influential woman on social media platforms by "BPG Cohn & Wolfe". Chef Manal Alalem has been appointed a title of honor as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Jordan, one of the world's largest humanitarian organizations fighting hunger worldwide.

Michael Kors is a world-renowned, award-winning designer of luxury accessories and ready-to-wear. His namesake company, established in 1981, currently produces a range of products under his signature Michael Kors Collection, MICHAEL Michael Kors and Michael Kors Mens labels. These products include accessories, footwear, watches, jewelry, women’s and men’s ready-to-wear, wearable technology, eyewear and a full line of fragrance products. Michael is a dedicated supporter of charities both near and far. He has been a passionate advocate for God’s Love We Deliver, a New York City-based non-profit that provides meals to people living with critical illnesses in the Tri-state area. In 2013, Michael launched WATCH HUNGER STOP, his philanthropic campaign supporting the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), and currently serves as a WFP Goodwill Ambassador. Additionally, Michael supports many other organizations locally, nationally and globally, including the New York Restoration Project, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the Roundabout Theatre Company, F.I.T., amfAR, NewYork-Presbyterian Fund, LGBT Community Center and the NAACP, amongst others.

Ons Jabeur is the highest-ranked African and Arab tennis player in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings history. Jabeur’s highest ranking is world number 2. She has won five singles titles on the WTA Tour, as well as eleven singles titles and one doubles title on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Circuit. Jabeur was the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2022 and 2023 and at the US Open in 2022, becoming the first African and Arab woman to contest a major singles final. The year of 2021 was her breakthrough as she won her first WTA title, defeated five-time champion Venus Williams to become the first Tunisian tennis player, first Arab woman, and the first woman representing an African country since 2005, to reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. At Indian Wells, Jabeur reached her first WTA 1000 semifinal. With the win, she propelled herself into a career-high ranking, becoming the first Arab tennis player to reach the top 10 in either ATP or WTA rankings history. Known for her skill, determination, and sportsmanship, Ons is a trailblazer in the world of tennis and an inspiration to aspiring athletes worldwide.
 

Son Heung-min is a South Korean professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and captains the South Korea national team. Considered one of the best players in the world and one of the greatest Asian footballers of all time, he is known for his explosive speed, finishing, two-footedness and ability to link play. In the 2021–22 season, he won the Premier League Golden Boot award with 23 goals, becoming the first Asian player to do so. Outside of football, Son is viewed as a symbol of national pride in South Korea for his achievements.

Arthur Potts Dawson is a chef and World Food Programme Advocate. Described by Jamie Oliver as 'the original green chef', much of his work centres around sustainability in the food system, the future of food and how we achieve Zero Hunger by 2030. Arthur is the executive chef and sustainability expert at OmVed Gardens, an event space and food hub in North London. He is a founding member of the SDG2 Advocacy Hub’s Chefs’ Manifesto, a network bringing together chefs to act for a sustainable food system.

Asma Khan is one of the UK's most prominent female chefs and an unstoppable force for social change in the food industry.

Owner of Darjeeling Express and star of Netflix’s Chef’s Table, Asma is passionate about using her platform to give women from diverse backgrounds more opportunities to succeed.

Although Asma loved food, she left India without ever learning to cook.  Separated from home, she felt a longing for the warmth and comfort of the dishes she felt a deep connection to. 

Asma was the first woman in her family to attend college, she qualified as a lawyer and completed a doctorate in British Constitutional Law, but she always knew her future was in food. 

The journey started in her own home, hosting supper clubs, before opening her London restaurant - which is run by an all-women team, many of whom are second daughters or immigrants.

Asma was the first British chef to feature on Netflix's Chef's Table, and she used her appearance as an opportunity to talk about race and about the absolute imbalance of female representation in kitchens. 

Asma works with WFP to draw attention to the global hunger crisis and the central role women’s empowerment plays in ending hunger and transforming communities. 

 

Mr. Tony Yoo is a celebrity and leading chef specializing in modern Korean dining and Republic of Korea's first ever Michelin star chef. Mr. Yoo has helped bring attention to hunger and food waste through WFP’s Zero Waste Zero Hunger campaign by introducing special menus at his restaurant to encourage visitors to reduce food waste by reducing their portions, and thus decreasing significant amounts of food waste. This was later reported as an example case at press interviews and policy discussion hosted by MPs and government officials in Korea. Mr. Yoo has also supported WFP’s global initiatives including the #FightFamine campaign and helped raise awareness of the importance of school meals in international media. In his role as a WFP Advocate, the Korean chef is ready to expand his advocacy around other areas of WFP’s work such as food systems, nutrition, school meals and in-kind Korean rice contribution to WFP operations.

Zeina Barhoum is an award-winning Opera singer and WFP Advocate.  In 2017, she founded Amman Opera Festival, the first Opera focused festival in the Arab World under the Patronage of HRH Princess Muna Al Hussein. She performed on some of the world's most prestigious stages and venues including the Kensington Palace, The Hofburg Palace, Cadogan Hall, The UNESCO Paris, The Rimini Opera and Campidoglio in Italy, Austria, the UK, France, Ukraine, China, Jordan, UAE and Lebanon with renowned artists, including Italian Baritone and tutor Walter Alberti Roberto Alagna who is the acclaimed successor of Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli. She launched the Alcantara album series with the message of Bridging Cultures through music in a number of languages. Zeina was appointed as WFP Advocate in March 2020, and since then she’s been lending her voice and supporting WFP to raise awareness on hunger issues around the world. 

 Ana Lia Gonzales Magueño and Dora Magueño are two famous mountain guides from the Bolivian Aymara nation also known as the “Cholitas Escaladoras Maya.” They have recently been nominated as WFP high-level supporters. Both will carry out activities to deliver WFP’s vision by improving better nutrition amongst Indigenous women and empowering them to connect their ancestral products to better markets, while improving their food security and securing job opportunities.

Ana Lia Gonzales Magueño (Lita), the leader of the “Cholitas Escaladoras Maya”, and her mother, Teodora Magueño de Gonzales (Dora) have climbed the highest mountains in the Americas dressed in their traditional Indigenous attire known as Pollera (Skirt). The combination of conventional appearance, and energetic activities, drew the attention of national and international media such as CNN and The Guardian, as well as that of a whole generation of young Bolivian women trying to break barriers against women’s empowerment.

The “Cholitas Escaladoras Maya” have a close relationship with traditional counterparts as representatives of Indigenous women in Bolivia. With the help of the “Cholitas Escaladoras Maya” WFP aims to keep inspiring generations to improve their nutrition and to make Zero Hunger a reality by 2030. The Cholitas will work with youth influencers to increase the visibility of Bolivia’s ancestral products, and recommend a healthy gastronomy, involving WFP counterparts, donors and government officials.

Ana Lia Gonzales Magueño (Lita), is a teacher and began her professional climbing career when she was 15 years old. The highest mountain she climbed was Aconcagua in Argentina, which stands at 6,962 meters. Dora Magueño, the mother of Ana Lia Gonzalez, started her career as a mountain cook. 

Distel Zola is a Congolese professional football player currently playing for Les Barbagiuans Monaco. He is one of four siblings and is among the best Congolese football talents, particularly known for his leadership and strength as a midfielder. He started his career at the age of 13, playing with AS Monaco, one of the most successful clubs in France and has since then played for Stade Lavallois, AS Nancy Lorraine, Le Havre AC, Samsunspor in Turkey and Charlotte Independence in the USA. . As a seasoned player, he represented the Democratic Republic of Congo at the international level in the 2015 African Nations Cup where the DRC finished third.

In 2021, he and his wife, Lorraine Lemaire, launched the Banazola Foundation to give Congolese children from deprived backgrounds a better future. He joins WFP as High-level Supporter for nutrition and school meals and will be supporting WFP’s work in Democratic Republic of Congo engaging with youth and advocating about the importance of healthy food for better living.

Eitan Bernath is an award-winning chef, author, TV personality, entertainer, and social justice activist. The multihyphenate began his gilded entertainment career early, appearing as one of the youngest ever contestants on the Food Network’s “Chopped” at just 11 years old. Since then, Bernath’s social media presence has amassed over 8 million followers and 3 billion annual video views that reach more than 350 million consumers in 150 countries. He is the chief executive officer of Eitan Productions, the Principal Culinary Contributor for the Daytime Emmy® award-winning Drew Barrymore Show on CBS, and is a contributor to The Washington Post, Food & Wine, Saveur, Delish, and The Kitchn. Bernath’s debut cookbook, Eitan Eats The World, a national bestseller, hit bookstands in May 2022 from Penguin Random House with critical acclaim from outlets including The Washington Post, USA Today, and the Good Morning America. Heralded as a leader in social media for mastering the art of quick-cut content, Bernath’s story and success has graced the pages of publications including The New York Times, New York Magazine, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, and Forbes. In September 2021, Bernath was the youngest ever individual to receive Forbes coveted 30 Under 30 award in Food & Drink. In his home of New York City, he serves as the youngest ever member of the Food Council at City Harvest, and as an ambassador for Animal Haven, an animal shelter in downtown Manhattan.

 Feike Sijbesma was CEO of global nutrition company Royal DSM from 2007-2020 and now serves as its Honorary Chairman. True to his vision that purpose-driven business can address issues like climate change and nutrition for all, he championed the company’s pioneering partnership with WFP and led the evolution of DSM into a “purpose-led, performance-driven” business. Feike ;continues to encourage companies to embrace the SDGs, promoting the idea that a fairer future for people and the planet is essential for businesses everywhere to thrive. Feike serves as chair of Royal Philips, co-chair of the Global Center on (Climate) Adaptation and as board member in leading companies and organisations, including the World Economic Forum, Unilever, the Dutch Central Bank, and the UN Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Business Network. In 2018 he was ranked as one of Fortune’s World’s 50 Greatest Leaders. In 2021, Feike joined us as the first WFP Champion.

Rita Lobo is a Brazilian chef, TV star, best-selling author and creator of Panelinha, a multimedia culinary platform. She's been teaching Brazilian people how to cook for more than 20 years ― always defending healthy, fresh food and campaigning against ultra-processed products. Rita also speaks at medical and public health events.

Well known and loved in Brazil, Rita is also a best-selling author, with over 10 published books. For over 20 years, she has been a trusted advocate for healthy food in Brazil and is known for encouraging people to pursue a healthy diet while helping them to learn how to cook simple and nutritious meals.

She has nearly 4 million followers on social media and 4 million monthly users on her website, in addition to millions more on television. Rita will use her expertise to shed light on adequate and healthy diets, and how to reduce food waste and avoid ultra-processed foods.

Rita has been an active supporter of the WFP Centre of Excellence against Hunger in Brazil since 2021, taking part in global campaigns and using her social media to share messages on WFP's work. The Centre of Excellence is the result of a partnership between WFP and the Government of Brazil. Its mission is to support developing countries in creating and implementing sustainable solutions against hunger, inspired by other successful initiatives developed in Brazil. It also acts as a global hub for policy dialogue and learning about school feeding, smallholder farming, nutrition and food-security-related activities. 

Innocent Balume, known professionally as Innoss’B, is a trailblazing force in the music world, hailed for pioneering the vibrant AfroCongo genre. Born into a musical family in Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), his journey into the spotlight began at the tender age of six as part of the family ensemble Maisha Soul. Their undeniable talent earned them acclaim with the 2007 Revelation Award at the Goma Tourism Fair.

Stepping into his spotlight, Innoss'B's meteoric rise accelerated after clinching victory in the prestigious 2010 Vodacom Superstar contest, an achievement that catapulted him into the global arena. Collaborating with icons like Akon on the international hit “Up and Away,” he swiftly cemented his status as a musical prodigy.

Innoss'B's sonic tapestry, woven with influences from Congolese rumba, indigenous folklore, and ndombolo, resonates deeply with audiences worldwide. 

Venturing further, Innoss'B left an indelible mark in Kinshasa with standout collaborations alongside legends like Werrason and Koffi Olomidé. Tracks like “Eloko” and “Elengi” showcased his versatility and solidified his reputation as a musical force to be reckoned with. Not content with merely dominating the airwaves, he shattered records on digital platforms, becoming the first Congolese musician to amass over 100 million views on YouTube for his remix of “Yo Pe,” featuring Tanzanian sensation Diamond Platnumz. The BBC heralded him as one of Africa's brightest stars, citing his innovative style and infectious energy as catalysts for global acclaim.

The artist’s influence extends beyond music as he leverages his platform for philanthropic endeavours. His Foundation, established in 2020, provides crucial aid to children battling malnutrition and families grappling with poverty.

Joining forces with the World Food Programme (WFP) as a High-level Supporter, his passion for empowering youth and advocating for nutritious food takes centre stage. Through his collaboration with WFP in the DRC, he aims to inspire positive change, foster community resilience, and champion the transformative power of healthy living for generations to come.