Ivanka Trump Launches Produce Venture amid Funding Cuts

Ivanka Trump made her first major public appearance since her father's return to the White House, unveiling Planet Harvest, a Chicago-based 'profit-for-purpose' company focused on improving access to fresh produce and fixing supply chain inefficiencies. At the Heartland Summit in Bentonville, Arkansas, Trump described Planet Harvest's goal of connecting surplus crops with communities in need to support farmers, cut food waste, and enhance nutrition. Her passion for the project was shaped by her previous work with the USDA's Farmers to Families Food Box program during the pandemic. The launch comes as the Trump administration has recently cut substantial funding from local food programs, raising concerns about increasing food insecurity in the U.S. The summit also addressed public health, with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. advocating for improved food quality to combat chronic illness. Trump's appearance marks her shift from political advisor to private-sector innovator focused on community health.