(Credit: Jerry Greenfield, Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Corbis via Getty Images)
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream brand co-founder, Jerry Greenfield, is leaving the company after 47 years, saying that its ability to speak up on social issues has been stifled by Unilever.
“For more than twenty years under [Unilever]’s 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,” said Greenfield in a statement posted by partner Ben Cohen to X.
“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.”
The brand, known for its flavourful ice creams with names such as Half Baked, Netflix & Chill’d, and the Tonight Dough, has made supportive statements on many issues, including human rights and dignity, social and economic justice, and LGBTQ rights.
Greenfield says this comes at a time when the United States of America’s current administration is attacking many social and human rights.
“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.”
(Credit: Unilever logo, Unilever Archives)
Unilever, based in England, will be shifting its ice cream brand including Ben & Jerry’s to be called The Magnum Ice Cream Company.
A spokesperson for Magnum said in a statement Wednesday that it would forever be grateful to Greenfield for his contributions, 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.
This has not been the only conflict between the ice cream brand and Unilever this year. In March Ben & Jerry’s said its CEO was unlawfully removed from the company by Unilever in response to its political and social activism.
Jerry Greenfield closed his statement with a promise to continue his activism outside of Ben & Jerry’s.
“If I can’t carry those values forward inside the company today, then I will carry them forward outside, with all the love and conviction I can.”
