Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Quits, Accuses Parent Company of Trashing Social Mission in ‘Fear’ of ‘Those in Power’
(Jose F. Moreno/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield quit the ice cream brand he built Tuesday after 47 years, declaring he can “no longer in good conscience” remain in the role as he accused parent firm Unilever of trashing the company’s “social mission” in “fear” of “those in power.”
Greenfield’s resignation marks the most dramatic rupture yet in Ben & Jerry’s long feud with Unilever, which acquired the company in 2000 under a deal that promised it the freedom to continue to campaign on social justice issues.
“What allowed the company to be more than just an ice cream company was the independence to pursue our values,” Greenfield wrote in his parting letter posted to X. That independence, he added, “is gone.”
Greenfield accused Unilever of sidelining the brand “for fear of upsetting those in power” at a time when, he said, America’s government is “attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants, women and the LGBTQ community.”
Ben & Jerry’s has never shied from such activism, supporting protests against Arctic drilling, pushing marriage equality and, most recently, the founders’ 2024 legal battle with Unilever, claiming it sought to suppress their expressed solidarity with Palestinians.
Greenfield’s co-founder Ben Cohen amplified the message, writing on X: “Jerry has made the difficult decision to step down from the company we built together. His legacy deserves to be true to our values, not silenced.”
The exit comes as Unilever spins off its ice cream division into the newly branded Magnum Ice Cream Company (MICC).
“We disagree with his perspective and have sought to engage both co-founders in a constructive conversation on how to strengthen Ben & Jerry’s powerful values-based position in the world,” a Unilever spokesman said.
