Jerry quits Ben & Jerry’s over stifled independence on social issues

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield is leaving the ice cream brand after 47 years, saying the independence it once had to speak up on social issues has been stifled by parent company Unilever.

In a letter that co-founder Ben Cohen posted on social media platform X on Greenfield’s behalf, Greenfield said he felt the independence the brand had to speak on social issues and events was lost to Unilever.

“For 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,” he wrote. “That 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.”

Greenfield said the loss of independence comes “at a time when our country’s current administration is attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants, women and the LGBTQ community.”

“Standing 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,” he said. “It’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.”

Greenfield noted that Ben & Jerry’s, famous for its colorful ice cream containers with flavor names such as Cherry Garcia and Phish Food, “was 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.”

Unilever, based in London, is spinning off its ice cream business, including Ben & Jerry’s, into a stand-alone company called The Magnum Ice Cream Company. Greenfield and Cohen have been pushing for Ben & Jerry’s to be allowed to become an independently owned company again, saying in a letter to Magnum’s board that they don’t believe the brand should be part of a corporation that doesn’t support its founding mission.

A spokesperson for Magnum said in a statement 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.

“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,” the spokesperson said.

Magnum said it still is committed to Ben & Jerry’s mission and remains “focused on carrying forward the legacy of peace, love and ice cream of this iconic, much-loved brand.”

Cones in action (Photo by Chapendra via Flickr)

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Ben & Jerry’s has been at odds with Unilever for a while. In March, Ben & Jerry’s said its CEO was unlawfully removed by Unilever in retaliation for the ice cream maker’s social and political activism.

In a federal court filing, Ben & Jerry’s said Unilever informed its board on March 3 that it was removing and replacing Ben & Jerry’s CEO David Stever. Ben & Jerry’s said that violated its merger agreement with Unilever, which states that any decisions regarding a CEO’s removal must come after a consultation with an advisory committee from Ben & Jerry’s board.

Unilever said in a statement at the time that it hoped Ben & Jerry’s board would engage in the agreed-upon process.

Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2000 for $326 million. At the time, Ben & Jerry’s said the partnership would help the progressive Vermont-based ice cream company expand its social mission.

But lately, the marriage hasn’t been a happy one. In 2021, Ben & Jerry’s announced it would stop serving Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and contested east Jerusalem. The following year, Unilever sold its Israeli business to a local company that said it would sell Ben & Jerry’s under its Hebrew and Arabic name throughout Israel and the West Bank.

In March 2024, Unilever announced the spinoff of the ice cream business — including Ben & Jerry’s — by the end of 2025 as part of a larger restructuring. Unilever also owns personal hygiene brands like Dove soap and food brands like Hellmann’s mayonnaise.

But the acrimony continued. In November, Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever in federal court in New York, accusing it of silencing Ben & Jerry’s statements in support of Palestinians in the Gaza war.

In its complaint, Ben & Jerry’s said Unilever also refused to let the company release a social media post that identified issues it believed would be challenged during President Donald Trump’s second term, including minimum wages, universal health care, abortion and climate change.