Ivanka Trump's Venture Backs Farm Produce, Supply Chain Reforms While White House Slashes Millions In Funding From Local Food Programs

Ivanka Trump, the daughter of President Donald Trump, has unveiled her latest venture, Planet Harvest. The company aims to enhance the accessibility of fresh produce and address supply chain inefficiencies.

What Happened: Trump made her first significant public appearance since her father’s return to the White House at the Heartland Summit in Bentonville, Arkansas. Here, she spoke about her role in Planet Harvest, a Chicago-based “profit-for-purpose company” founded in 2023.

Trump expressed her vision for Planet Harvest and told Axios in an interview, stating that the company’s goal is to “reimagine how American produce moves — not just through the supply chain, but across communities.” The company aims to link surplus crops with those in need, helping farmers, cutting food waste, and enhancing access to healthy food.

Ivanka Trump stated that her commitment to aiding American farmers and boosting food access in underserved communities began during her involvement with the USDA’s Farmers to Families Food Box program amid the pandemic.

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Why It Matters: Trump’s new venture comes as a sharp contrast to the recent moves of her father’s administration. In March, the USDA cancelled up to $1 billion in local food sourcing for schools and food banks, a move that was widely criticized by school administrations and health experts. 

The Trump administration also scrapped a major local food program worth $660 million while also withdrawing the planned 2025 Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, cutting support for schools, childcare centers, and food banks.

The cuts coincide with rising food insecurity in the nation, affecting 13.5% of Americans in 2023 — the highest rate in nearly a decade, as per data from the USDA.

Image via Shutterstock

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors