Jerry quits Ben & Jerry’s, saying its independence on social issues has been stifled
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield is leaving the ice cream brand after 47 years, saying that the independence it once had to speak up on social issues has been stifled by parent company Unilever.
In aย letterย that co-founder Ben Cohen posted on social media platform X on Greenfield’s behalf, Greenfield said that he felt the independence the brand had to speak on social issues and events was lost to Unilever.
โFor more than 20 years under their ownership, Ben & Jerry’s stood up and spoke out in support of peace, justice and human rights, not as abstract concepts, but in relation to real events happening in our world,โ he wrote. โThat independence existed in no small part because of the unique merger agreement Ben and I negotiated with Unilever, one that enshrined our social mission and values in the company’s governance structure in perpetuity. It’s profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that that independence, the very basis of our sale to Unilever, is gone.โ
Greenfield said that the loss of independence was coming โat a time when our country’s current administration is attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants, women and the LGBTQ community.โ
โStanding up for the values of justice, equity, and our shared humanity has never been more important, and yet Ben & Jerry’s has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power,โ he said. โIt’s easy to stand up and speak out when there’s nothing at risk. The real test of values is when times are challenging and you have something to lose.โ
Greenfield noted that Ben & Jerry’s, famous for its colorful ice cream containers with flavor names such as Cherry Garcia and Phish Food, โwas always about more than just ice cream; it was a way to spread love and invite others into the fight for equity, justice and a better world.โ
Unilever, based in London, is spinning off its ice cream business including Ben & Jerryโs into a stand-alone company called The Magnum Ice Cream Company.
A spokesperson for Magnum said in a statement on Wednesday that it would be forever grateful to Greenfield for his contributions to Ben & Jerry’s and thanked him for his service, but was not aligned with his viewpoint.
โWe disagree with his perspective and have sought to engage both co-founders in a constructive conversation on how to strengthen Ben & Jerryโs powerful values-based position in the world,โ the spokesperson said.
Magnum said that it is still committed to Ben & Jerry’s mission and remains โfocused on carrying forward the legacy of peace, love, and ice cream of this iconic, much-loved brand.โ
Ben & Jerry’s has been at odds withย Unileverย for a while. In March Ben & Jerryโs said that its CEO was unlawfully removed by Unilever in retaliation for the ice cream makerโsย social and political activism.
In a federal court filing, Ben & Jerryโs said that Unilever informed its board on March 3 that it was removing and replacing Ben & Jerryโs CEO David Stever. Ben & Jerryโs said that violated its merger agreement with Unilever, which states that any decisions regarding a CEOโs removal must come after a consultation with an advisory committee from Ben & Jerryโs board.
Unilever said in a statement at the time that it hoped Ben & Jerryโs board would engage in the agreed-upon process.
Unilever acquired Ben & Jerryโs in 2000 for $326 million. At the time, Ben & Jerryโs said the partnership would help theย progressive Vermont-basedย ice cream company expand its social mission.
But lately, the marriage hasnโt been a happy one. In 2021, Ben & Jerryโs announced it wouldย stop serving Israeli settlementsย in the occupied West Bank and contested east Jerusalem. The following year, Unileverย sold its Israeli businessย to a local company that said it would sell Ben & Jerryโs under its Hebrew and Arabic name throughout Israel and the West Bank.
In March 2024 Unilever announced theย spinoff of the ice cream businessย โ including Ben & Jerryโs โ by the end of 2025 as part of a larger restructuring. Unilever also owns personal hygiene brands like Dove soap and food brands like Hellmannโs mayonnaise.
But the acrimony continued. In November, Ben & Jerryโsย suedย Unilever in federal court in New York, accusing it of silencing Ben & Jerryโs statements in support of Palestinians in the Gaza war.
In its complaint, Ben & Jerryโs said Unilever also refused to let the company release a social media post that identified issues it believed would be challenged during President Donald Trumpโs second term, including minimum wages, universal health care, abortion and climate change.