LONDON: Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield has resigned from the company following a public dispute with parent company Unilever over the Gaza conflict.
Greenfield stated in an open letter that Unilever had silenced the ice cream brand’s social activism efforts in recent years.
The 74-year-old co-founder expressed his inability to remain with the company after 47 years due to conscience concerns.
He emphasised the importance of standing up for values like justice, equity, and shared humanity.
Unilever’s ice cream unit, Magnum Ice Cream Company, disagreed with Greenfield’s perspective in their response.
The company stated it had attempted to engage both co-founders in constructive conversations about strengthening Ben & Jerry’s values-based position.
Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2000 for 326 million US dollars with a unique clause allowing an independent board.
This board maintained authority over the brand’s social mission though not over operational decisions.
The relationship deteriorated in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s announced it would stop sales in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The brand subsequently sued Unilever over alleged efforts to silence its social activism positions.
Ben & Jerry’s has described the Gaza conflict as genocide, an unusual stance for a major US company.
Greenfield’s departure coincides with the founders’ calls for a spin-off ahead of Magnum Ice Cream’s planned November listing.
Co-founder Ben Cohen recently protested in London during Magnum’s growth plan presentation.
Cohen demanded Unilever free Ben & Jerry’s to protect its social values, which Magnum’s CEO rejected.
Greenfield confirmed he would continue his social activism efforts outside the company.
He reflected that Ben & Jerry’s was always about more than ice cream, serving as a platform for spreading love and fighting for a better world. – Reuters
