Idaho agriculture group balks at Clif Bar Foundation video

BOISE – Southern Idaho’s agriculture community was happy to welcome a major Clif Bar production facility recently, but the company’s “Mr. Seed” video that criticizes conventional agriculture has been less well received.

The animated video, which is for the Clif Bar Family Foundation, features a foul-mouthed organic seed complaining that conventional agriculture is ruining the world with pesticides, performance-enhancing chemicals and genetically modified organism seed, the Capital Press reported.

Food Producers of Idaho, an agriculture trade group, is sending a letter to the Clif Bar Family Foundation calling for the “Mr. Seed” video to be removed from YouTube and other outlets as it presents a false, negative perception of Idaho agriculture.

“As the group representing most of Idaho agriculture, we want to make sure Clif knows the harm in some of the mistruths it’s spreading in the video,” said Wyatt Prescott, Food Producers president.

Prescott said the video presents a false and negative perception that is offensive to many in Idaho agriculture. He said he wants the records to be set straight with Clif Bar.

“Perpetuating myths about conventional farming, as seen in the `Mr. Seed’ video, brings harm to hardworking farmers and ranchers around the country,” the letter states.

Clif Bar officials said in an email that they cannot respond to the letter as they have not yet received it.

“Once we have the letter, we’ll have a much better sense of their specific concerns and will be better able to address the matter,” the email said.

Clif Bar, based in Emeryville, California, recently opened a $90 million bakery in Twin Falls. “Mr. Seed” was produced by the foundation’s Seed Matters initiative.