8 Questions With Imperfect’s New CEO
We have a new CEO and are so excited for you to meet him! Philip Behn believes deeply in our mission to eliminate food waste and build a better food system for everyone, and he has decades of experience in online grocery and ecommerce. We’re thrilled to have his expertise as we work to grow the food waste movement and, in turn, expand our impact on our mission. To help you get to know him, Reilly, our podcast host, sat down for a fun chat with him!
Reilly Brock: Where did you grow up?
Philip Behn: I grew up in Chile. My family owned a small farm in the south of Chile where I spent about half the year and the other half in Santiago, the capital. We had one of Chile’s first organic vineyards and we also grew produce, so I grew up knowing where stuff comes from, how much work goes into it, and what happens with waste of all kinds. That resulted in a lifelong passion for healthy food and caring for our environment.
RB: How did you start working in the food industry? What did that teach you about waste and sustainability?
PB: Food has been something close to my professional life since I started my first job, whereas waste is something I became aware of over time. By understanding the way that food supply chains work, you start to realize that a lot of the “cookie-cutter” experience that you have as a customer in a supermarket is the result of a lot of standardization, packaging practices and industrial activities that go all the way back to the source. It’s not something that you’re super aware of as a customer — you are just used to finding perfect apples at the grocery store every time. That’s not how nature and farming really work. When you go to the supermarket and see plums in January, you don’t see the fact that the only way you can transport stone fruit from South America in a way that it doesn’t get damaged relies on cardboard packaging, sometimes bubble wrap, plus the cold chain and the carbon footprint that it generates. This unnatural feel of homogeneity and lack of seasonality comes at a huge cost.
RB: What drew you to Imperfect Foods?
PB: I love that this company started with the right problem to solve. We didn’t wait for someone to solve the food waste problem and then become part of it. We went to the center of it and built a business around sustainable practices and innovation. The fact that we can do well by doing good is something fairly unique. Usually you have to make a tradeoff between companies that make a lot of money or serve customers really well and companies that do something great for the planet. In our case, I feel that this tradeoff doesn’t exist. We’re doing both — and the more we grow as a movement and a company, the more good we can do for the planet. That’s fundamental to who we are.
RB: What would you like the Imperfect Foods community to know about you?
PB: The Imperfect community will hopefully feel how passionate I am about waste elimination and about food. When I think about waste, I don’t just think about things that are wasted at the farm. There are wasteful activities happening from the moment something is planted to the moment someone disposes leftovers in their home, and even the carbon-miles we can save by delivering on a fixed schedule. We’re tackling waste across the entire supply chain. Imperfect customers can trust that every single item that they buy, in some way in some shape or form, contributes to that waste reduction.
RB: What do you like to do outside of work?
PB: I have 2 kids, a 3 year old and a 4 year old. They’re very active kids and love exercise and spending time outdoors. When I find a little bit of extra time, I’m a really avid cyclist. I love to do longer trips on my road bike. I’ll usually take a BART train to one of the stations in the East Bay and go for a ride for 2 or 3 hours. It helps me reconnect with nature and is my way of meditating.
RB: What’s your favorite fruit or vegetable?
PB: Avocado, hands-down. It’s so versatile and you can eat it in so many different ways. Chile is an avocado growing place and we had an avocado tree in our yard. When I was growing up there wasn’t just one type of avocado. In a typical fruit stand you might find 4 or 5 different types and they varied by season. I see this as another example of how standardization in the food industry has changed what we eat.
RB: How do you try to reduce waste in your kitchen?
PB: The first thing we do is plan well. A big source of food waste is people buying too much stuff which then goes bad in their fridge. There are certain items that have a shorter shelf life, whether you buy them from Imperfect, your farmer’s market or at the grocery store. Spinach just doesn’t last very long. We always prefer bulk over packaged food. I’m still really disappointed that every supermarket I go to has a huge amount of bulk vegetables that are pre-packaged. We really don’t need four tomatoes to be packed in a plastic bag.
The other way we try to reduce waste and packaging is to refill our household cleaning products. Whenever you can, buy a refill for hand soap — you don’t need to buy the dispenser again. The dispenser will go to landfill since it has a variety of components that are individually recyclable but not as a package. I’m a believer in avoiding waste first, and recycling waste second. Avoiding is where we can make a much more meaningful impact.
RB: If you’re cooking for someone and want to make them feel loved, what are you going to make for them?
PB: Almost inevitably it will be a whole wheat pasta with Bolognese sauce. It’s the ultimate comfort food and my family makes it a lot. It’s a slow-cooked process where the flavors blend really well. It looks beautiful and tastes great. It’s also easy to cook, and you can make it together as a family.
