Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, is departing from the ice cream company after 47 years, expressing concerns that its autonomy to address social issues has been curtailed by Unilever, its parent company.
In a letter shared by fellow co-founder Ben Cohen on the social media platform X, Greenfield conveyed his belief that the brand’s former ability to speak about social matters has diminished due to Unilever’s influence.
“For over two decades under their leadership, Ben & Jerry’s championed causes like peace, justice, and human rights, not just as concepts, but in direct response to global events,” he explained. “This independence was largely due to a one-of-a-kind merger agreement Ben and I forged with Unilever, embedding our social mission and principles into the company’s leadership in perpetuity. It is deeply disheartening to acknowledge that this autonomy, which was fundamental to our deal with Unilever, is now lost.”
According to Greenfield, this erosion of independence is happening “when the current U.S. administration is undermining civil rights, voting rights, and the rights of immigrants, women, and the LGBTQ community.”
“Today, advocating for justice, equity, and our common humanity is crucial, yet Ben & Jerry’s voice has been muted, marginalized to avoid unsettling those in power,” he remarked. “It’s simple to stand and speak when there’s nothing to lose. True commitment to values is tested in challenging times when there are stakes.”
Greenfield emphasized that Ben & Jerry’s, known for its vibrant ice cream flavors like Cherry Garcia and Phish Food, “was always about more than just ice cream; it was a platform to cultivate love and rally 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.
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.
“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 that it is still 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.”
Ben & Jerry’s has been at odds with Unilever for a while. In March Ben & Jerry’s said that 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 that 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.
