S1E5: How CLIF Bar Built a Sustainable Company Before It Was Cool w/ Elysa Hammond

Welcome to Terra.talk, the official podcast of international climate school ⁠⁠⁠⁠Terra.do.⁠⁠⁠⁠ Did you know that your (and our) favorite energy bar has been a leader in the sustainable food space since the 90's? Today we're talking with the woman behind it all, Elysa Hammond.

Elysa has spent her career working in food system sustainability with a focus on organic and regenerative agriculture, climate solutions, sustainable business practices and zero waste. She is currently serving on the Community Advisory Council of the City of Austin/ Travis County’s first ever Sustainable Food Plan.

Elysa worked at CLIF Bar for 23 years and was the founder of CLIF Bar’s award-winning environmental sustainability program. She served in various role including staff ecologist, SVP of Environmental Stewardship, and Executive Fellow in Regenerative Business and Climate Solutions. She was the chief architect of the CLIF Bar’s “think like a tree” sustainability framework, launched their commitment to organic and sustainable agriculture, drove the use of renewable energy into the supply chain, and helped integrate biophilic design into their zero waste, LEED certified bakeries. She was an advisor to the CLIF Family foundation, and a frequent speaker at conferences and in university classrooms. CLIF Bar was purchased by Mondelēz International in 2022, which is when Elysa parted ways with the company.

Elysa holds a Master of Forest Science from Yale School of the Environment and Master of Philosophy from Yale University where she focused on the ecology of traditional farming systems. She conducted field research for her graduate programs in the Peruvian Amazon and in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. She currently lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Chuck, where she is a student in the Master Naturalist program and serves on the advisory boards of People and Plants International and EcoAthletes.

USEFUL LINKS 👇🏼👇🏼

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out Terra.do using ⁠this link⁠⁠⁠⁠ and save 25% on Terra's Learning for Action Fellowship! (Jae said 20% by accident - oops!)
• Check out exclusive bonus footage and watch our episodes on YouTube ⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Follow us on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠here.⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Fill out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback form⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help us improve the podcast in future seasons.
• Comment your favorite CLIF Bar flavor! Jae's is Coconut Chocolate Chip - these made up about half of his total caloric intake in the year 2013.

Season 1 of Terra.talk drops every Tuesday from May 27 to July 8, 2025. The views expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Terra.do or its partners.

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