Clif Bar & Co.
You may know Clif Bar & Co. for its line of Clif, Luna, and Clif Kid bars, gels, chews and drink mixes, but the company is so much more than that. The Clif Bar Family Foundation was started in 2006 to support organizations “working to strengthen our food system and our communities, enhance public health, and safeguard our environment and natural resources.” In 2009, it launched its first special initiative—Seed Matters—which supports policies that conserve crop genetic diversity, protect farmers’ roles and rights to be seed innovators and stewards, and reinvigorate public seed research and education. Most recently, Clif Bar & Co. has partnered with Organic Valley to provide a $2 million endowment that will support research to develop crop varieties adapted to organic systems. This is the first of five organic research endowed chairs totaling $10 million to be led by Clif Bar over the next five years.