"Independence Gone": Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder Quits Over Row With Unilever
The co-founder of Ben & Jerry's has resigned from the ice cream brand after saying his company known for its social activism has lost "the independence to pursue our values" under the ownership of British giant Unilever.
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Originally established by two childhood friends in 1978, the ice cream company Ben & Jerry's was later acquired by Unilever in 2000.
Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of the socially conscious ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's, has stepped down from his position, citing that the company has lost "the independence to pursue our values" under the ownership of British conglomerate Unilever.
This resignation follows a 2022 incident where the company failed to prevent Unilever from selling its products in West Bank settlements, an action that Ben & Jerry's argued contradicted their core values.
According to a statement shared on social media platform X by fellow co-founder Ben Cohen on Tuesday, Greenfield stated he could "no longer, in good conscience, and after 47 years, remain an employee" of the Vermont-based ice cream maker.
The iconic brand, established by the two friends in 1978, became part of Unilever in 2000 and currently operates under the Magnum Ice Cream Company, a Unilever subsidiary.
In his statement, Greenfield expressed that his company "has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power" during a period when the current US administration is "attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants, women, and the LGBTQ community."
"It's profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that that independence, the very basis of our sale to Unilever, is gone," Greenfield further noted.
A spokesperson for Magnum affirmed the company's commitment to maintaining Ben & Jerry's mission and legacy.
"We disagree with (Greenfield's) 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 commented.
In May, 74-year-old Ben Cohen was escorted out of a US Senate hearing after disrupting proceedings by shouting "Congress pays for bombs to kill children in Gaza," startling Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.
Cohen, who has long criticized Israeli policies, joined other prominent Jewish figures last year in signing an open letter opposing the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC.
Currently, Unilever is in the process of separating Magnum as an independent entity, with standalone operations expected to begin by mid-November.