Celebrating the Life of Jo Luck: A Visionary Leader Who Empowered Millions to End Hunger
02 December 2025, US: On behalf of the World Food Prize Laureates and our Council of Advisors, the World Food Prize Foundation extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Jo Luck, 2010 Laureate, who peacefully passed away on November 26, 2025.
“Jo Luck devoted her life to empowering others, especially women and families striving to lift themselves out of poverty,” said Mashal Husain, President, World Food Prize Foundation. “Her leadership embodied compassion in action, and through her vision, communities across the globe discovered that with the right tools and trust, they could change their own futures.”
In her role as CEO, Jo Luck built Heifer International into one of the world’s premier hunger fighting non-profit organizations, providing income-producing animals to more than 12 million families globally. She expanded the scope and impact of the organization’s activities throughout Africa, the Americas, Asia and the South Pacific, and Central and Eastern Europe, combating hunger by helping poor communities become self-sustaining. She educated and advocated on behalf of the world’s resource-poor and hungry, working with local and global partners to influence and change policies, systems and practices in ways that improve people’s lives.
Under Jo Luck’s direction, Heifer International pioneered programs that empowered women farmers, strengthened rural communities and promoted long-term self-reliance. She placed special emphasis on ensuring that women had equal access to training and livestock.
Jo Luck created innovative public education campaigns that connected donors to the people they supported, bridging communities across continents. Her Heifer Gift Catalogue inspired countless donors to participate in giving livestock and agricultural resources to families in need. Under her leadership, the organization’s base of supporters grew from 20,000 in 1992 to more than 500,000 in 2009, dramatically expanding its global reach and impact.
“Jo Luck showed the world that empowerment is the key to ending hunger,” said Thomas J. Vilsack, CEO, World Food Prize Foundation. “She built bridges between communities and continents, proving that when we lift others, we lift humanity as a whole.”
Jo Luck also championed Heifer’s Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development, a highly successful values-based planning process for community development. This program improved human nutrition, management of animal and natural resources, and human spiritual growth with training in organizational and business development, leadership, gender equity and environmental conservation practices.
Before joining Heifer International, Jo Luck served as Director of Parks and Tourism in Arkansas where she doubled the state’s tourism industry by focusing on the state’s natural beauty and ecological resources. Earlier in her career, she was the founding director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, establishing programs that uplifted vulnerable households.
In 2010, Jo Luck was awarded the World Food Prize, along with David Beckmann, for her leadership of Heifer International in providing income-producing animals to millions of people globally. Through her vision and leadership, she demonstrated that lasting solutions to hunger begin with dignity, education and opportunity.
The World Food Prize Foundation will honor Jo Luck’s life and legacy during the 2026 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue.
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