Clif - 30 years of goals and experience

PEOPLE - PLANET - COMMUNITY - BRANDS - BUSINESS

These five words are the values of the brand celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. These values are part of the company's model and guide its leaders in making decisions while maintaining their objectives. The secret to success lies in this alignment between values and objectives. Every year, each pillar must inevitably be reassessed, with new objectives defined around the key principles of "progress" and "responsibility" in the short, medium, and long term, thereby proving that a company's image can be positive and responsible, like the one conveyed by CLIF®. 

As CLIF BAR®'s 30th anniversary approached, we decided to devote some of our time to celebrating this brand that helped us grow and contributed to the existence of Nutri-Bay.com. 

The Story 

It was in 1990 that the idea of creating CLIF BAR® first came to Gary, one of the brand's co-creators. After spending a year experimenting with mixing ingredients in his mother's kitchen, Gary officially launched CLIF BAR®, whose name refers to his father, Clifford, who had always encouraged him to follow his passions. By the end of the first year, the company was a real success and had sold 1 million bars. 

In 1996, CLIF BAR® made its debut in Canada, a land well suited to outdoor adventurers! The early 2000s marked the beginning of the company's environmental commitment. In 2002, CLIF BAR® clearly demonstrated its commitment by defining the five pillars of its business. A year later, the company joined the fight against climate change by establishing a long-term partnership with American Forests to plant 1 million trees. 

In 2007, CLIF BAR® finally arrived in Europe, more specifically in the United Kingdom. It was the first time the brand had marketed its bars outside North America. This marked the beginning of the company's European expansion, and it would go on to open its headquarters in the Netherlands.

Then came the dark years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Years during which the company survived and, above all, demonstrated its generosity by donating $6.2 million through foundations and businesses to nonprofit organizations, as well as giving 22 million bars to food banks, relief efforts, and community partners.

Today, CLIF BAR® is proud to have achieved its first goal: making a great-tasting energy bar using real ingredients. CLIF® became the number-one nutrition bar, and still is today! Building on this achievement and reputation, the company can open the door to new opportunities, such as promoting organic farming and its many benefits for farmers, agricultural workers, and rural communities. New goals have also been set for 2030:

- Continuing its leadership role in sustainability by creating an Executive Fellow position for regenerative business and climate solutions.
- Expanding the ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), including the launch of five employee resource groups.
- Increasing community engagement by hosting LUNAFEST® for the twentieth time.
- Accelerating innovation efforts with the launch of the Trailblazers incubator.

PEOPLE

As CLIF® approaches its 30th anniversary in 2022, it gives us the opportunity to recognize the incredible workers who work at the company to bring you the fabulous CLIF BAR® and other products from the brand that you love. These workers are very valuable to the company, which is committed to achieving pay equity among employees. 

PLANET

CLIF® is deeply committed to taking care of our planet, and this is reflected at several levels. From the ingredients found in our products to the energy used by the brand, resources are managed sustainably—and that's not all! The company also helps others do the same by working hand in hand with policymakers, NGOs, and even competitors to create a brighter future for everyone.

CLIF® has implemented a plan comprising several measures to combat climate change. This 2030 plan includes several important and essential milestones for the company:

• Use 100% renewable electricity in their eGRID subregion by 2030
• EV100 commitment: 100% electric or plug-in hybrid by 2030
• 1 million trees planted by 2025

• 100% of plastic packaging will be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025
• 12% reduction in virgin plastic in our packaging by 2025
• 10x20x30 commitment to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030

COMMUNITY 

CLIF® has always been committed to the health and well-being of people and places connected to the company. That is why the brand supports various communities by giving back or creating thoughtful partnerships that contribute to the well-being of these communities.

In 2021, the company teamed up with extraordinary partners to grow good. The impact was very positive, as we can see: CLIF® is:

• $6,298,220 in donations to nonprofit partners.
• Product donations worth $17,528,243 to food banks, disaster-relief organizations, and their community partners
• 8,058 volunteer hours.

Once again, their commitment does not stop there, and this 30th anniversary also marks new horizons. That is why, in 2022, CLIF® also established a 2030 plan within this community pillar, which mainly includes two objectives: 

• Donate $100 million in cash and products to support health, equity, and the Earth.
• Engage 100% of employees in the CLIF CORPS program (an employee impact program through service and community support).

 Moreover, CLIF® is deeply committed to sustainable and responsible agriculture. That is why the company also wants to improve farmers’ lives by closing the income gap. Five million smallholder farmers grow more than 90% of the world’s cocoa, and many of them earn far below the World Bank’s extreme-poverty threshold of $1.90 per day. In 2021, CLIF® closed the income gap by 50% for the smallholder farmers of the Juan Cruz de Guaranal association, who grow organic cocoa in the Dominican Republic. 

BRANDS

This is without a doubt the most important pillar. CLIF® develops sustainable and motivating products that consumers embrace in response to their desire for food, authenticity, and above all, positive energy. After developing the first bars, the brand has now decided to delight the whole family, as mini bars (CLIF KID ZBAR®) have appeared for mini adventurers. Dogs will also now find something to enjoy with CLIF PET®.

But this pillar’s objectives are not limited solely to product diversity. In fact, the company has several areas of growth, particularly in terms of productivity. In 1992, it took approximately one month to produce 30,000 CLIF BAR®. Today, the company can produce the same number of bars in less than 10 minutes. This increase in production speed also helps increase the number of sales and therefore revenue. We should also mention the energy and nutrition provided by the plants used in the products, responsibly sourced ingredients, and sustainable manufacturing.

In the sporting world, CLIF® launched a women's mountain biking team (LUNA Pro Team) about twenty years ago. Although the 2022 season marks the end of the team, its success was significant for both the athletes and the brand:

• World No. 1-ranked mountain biking team for six seasons
• 14 Olympic appearances with two Olympic medals
• 22 individual World Cup victories

BUSINESS

As we have seen, CLIF® is a company designed to inspire consumers, as well as other companies (competitors or not). Ongoing investments in each of the company's five pillars guarantee and demonstrate that CLIF® remains a positive force by striving to help current and future generations. At CLIF®, one thing is clear: 

Food shapes not only our personal health, but also the health of our planet and our communities.

That is also why the Clif Family Foundation was created: to support nonprofit organizations with a big vision but limited resources. The company knows what people with innovative ideas, initiative, and perseverance can accomplish because the roots of CLIF BAR® are local. Many of its beneficiaries focus on one or more of the three core areas: strengthening the food system, improving community health, and protecting the environment. 

In 2021, no less than $3,056,060 was funded by the Clif Family Foundation in the three core areas outlined above. The largest share went to strengthening the food system (43%).

CLIF® at a Glance 

CLIF CATALOG 

You may also be interested in these articles:

• Clif Bar, the delicious energy bar put under the microscope
• Carbohydrates: How much to consume daily, by Guillaume Klein
• You can train your stomach! Here are the 6 basic tips...

This article was written based on CLIF®'s 2021 annual report