Ivanka Trump, daughter of former President Donald Trump, has last week co-founded a new venture called Planet Harvest. This important initiative is helping to raise awareness and alleviate the effects of food insecurity here in the U.S. In 2023, she officially started the company — with friend Melissa Ackerman. Specifically, they want to create it as a “profit-for-purpose” social enterprise that promotes the concept of food as “medicine.” This pilot comes at a critical time, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture has cut funding for important programs that used to help schools and food banks feed residents. Planet Harvest hopes to meet those needs and deliver essential help.
Planet Harvest’s mission echoes our current moment, in which the conversations around food access and public health have become more urgent than ever. Ivanka Trump evidently does not understand that nutrition is vitally important to physical well-being. She strongly believes in food as a primary solution to our most common, costly, and critical health crises. Putting together the company’s involvement in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again movement has raised the hackles of RFK Jr.’s critics and supporters alike. This movement, of course, is famous for pushing conspiracy theory packed narratives.
In her previous book, Women Who Work, Ivanka Trump certainly understood the challenges that working women face. She underlines the burdens they sometimes take on in their home lives too, including forgoing acts of self-care like getting a massage. Together with her personal stories, her insights are meant to inspire and encourage women who are managing the home/career challenge. This emphasis on empowerment foreshadows her new campaign to address larger social concerns, like food insecurity.
During her father’s presidency, Ivanka Trump served as a special adviser and was known for her influence on significant policy decisions. Just as in 2017, when she convinced her father to respond with missile strikes following a Syrian chemical weapons attack, this overwhelming and bipartisan call for response prompted U.S. airstrikes. She subsequently sought to shift blame for that controversial decision. It drew attention to her influence and standing within the administration, and the amount of clout that her opinions held.
Following the conclusion of Donald Trump’s presidency in 2020, daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, opted to distance themselves from public life. They had decided to relocate to Florida for a more tranquil lifestyle. Their exodus from the public eye came on the heels of a controversial time filled with political scandal. Recently, however, Ivanka Trump re-emerged at the Heartland Summit in Arkansas, suggesting a renewed effort to engage with the public on critical issues.
Planet Harvest’s mission is more important now than ever, as a wave of food insecurity engulfs the entire nation. The USDA’s recent funding reductions have threatened local producers and localized food relief programs that benefit at-risk communities. As a business, Planet Harvest values eco-friendly practices and positive community impact above all else. They work hard to fill voids and provide better food choices for those who are most in need.
At the same time, global crises are pushing food issues to the forefront of public debate. Humanitarian conditions have drastically deteriorated in Gaza because of continued blockades, with the UN warning that an impending famine is likely. This urgent situation illustrates the critical link between global food security and US international engagement and diplomacy. Jared Kushner was a key architect of Gaza policy during his White House years. This reality complicates Ivanka Trump’s obvious current project.
Notably, even as she pursues business ventures and philanthropic efforts, there are indications that Ivanka Trump remains a close adviser to her father behind the scenes. This unofficial advisory role belies the fact that she was still very much a discussion-setter among Republicans. Her influence is arguably most important as Donald Trump prepares for possible future political endeavors.