Benjamin
Chesler

Concentration 

Economics

Award Year 

2015
Imperfect
California

Across the country, ugly produce is being treated like a second-class citizen. Three billion pounds of delicious, high-quality fruits and vegetables get thrown out by California farmers every year, rejected by supermarkets just for being the wrong size, shape, or color. At the same time, families struggle to put healthy food on the table. 

Our company, Imperfect, is creating a market for this cosmetically-challenged produce by selling it to consumers and retailers as a branded line of produce that costs 30% less than grocery stores and 50% less than farmers' markets. We source directly from growers and provide customers with a box of seasonal fruits and vegetables delivered weekly to their door to meet their family's produce needs.

 

Reducing food waste has been my passion for the last four years. The Food Recovery Network was my first foray into reducing food waste and I'm so proud that our program has spread to 125 colleges and recovered 600,000 pounds of food from college campuses. But, unfortunately, there is even more food being wasted on farms in America, and I feel that problem needs to be addressed. We have an opportunity to make produce affordable and accessible to every American, and I'm excited to get to work doing that. No food should be wasted!