Ivanka Trump is stepping back into the public eye with a new venture that she claims will improve Americans’ access to healthy food—but it looks like the real goal is to cash in.
On Thursday, Ivanka unveiled Planet Harvest, a for-profit company she co-founded with her friend, Melissa Melshenker Ackerman. The initiative promises to tackle food waste and boost nutrition by connecting surplus produce with those who need it, all while making a profit. Ivanka is clearly aiming to turn her brand and influence into cash.
“We launched Planet Harvest to reimagine how American produce moves—not just through the supply chain, but across communities,” Ivanka said in a statement, according to Axios. “By connecting fresh and surplus harvests with those who can benefit from them, we’re supporting farmers, reducing food waste, expanding access, and using good nutrition to improve health.”
But the focus on “expanding access” sounds more like a convenient excuse for a new business that profits off what’s already a multi-billion dollar industry. Planet Harvest promises to use “real-time data and smart logistics” to match the right produce with the right buyer—and even collaborate with food manufacturers to turn surplus crops into profitable products, like dried cherries without added sugar.
“I’ve worked with farmers for nearly two decades and have seen too much good produce go to waste—not because it wasn’t fresh or nutritious, but because the system didn’t make room for it,” Ackerman said.
Ivanka will pitch her new venture at the Heartland Summit in Bentonville, Arkansas, where she will be interviewed by Arianna Huffington. Huffington framed the initiative as part of a broader national focus on health, linking it to the country’s chronic disease crisis.
“[Her] decision to focus on democratizing access to healthy food comes at an unprecedented moment in our country’s healthcare journey, where we’re finally recognizing the scale of the crisis in chronic diseases,” Huffington said.
The Heartland Summit, co-hosted by Walmart heirs, may provide a perfect platform for Ivanka to build her next big business empire.
