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5h ago

Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Jerry Greenfield Resigns, Saying Brand’s Voice Was Silenced

Greenfield says Unilever eroded the brand’s merger‑protected social‑mission autonomy, a claim The Magnum Ice Cream Company disputes.

Ben Cohen (left) and Jerry Greenfield (right), co-founders of Ben & Jerry’s, partnered with MoveOn to hand out free ice cream at Franklin Square in Philadelphia during their Scoop The Vote tour to get-out-the-vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats down the ballot on September 16, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, partnered with MoveOn to hand out free ice cream at Franklin Square in Philadelphia during their Scoop The Vote tour to get-out-the-vote for Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats down the ballot on September 16, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Overview

  • Greenfield stepped down after 47 years, writing in a letter shared by co-founder Ben Cohen on X that the independence guaranteed in the 2000 sale to Unilever is gone.
  • He said Ben & Jerry’s has been sidelined from speaking on real‑world issues, citing blocked statements related to Gaza and other political topics.
  • Ben & Jerry’s has sued Unilever in federal court, alleging unlawful removal of CEO David Stever and broader censorship that violates the merger agreement.
  • Unilever is separating its ice cream business into The Magnum Ice Cream Company, which thanked Greenfield, disagreed with his claims, and said it has sought constructive talks.
  • Cohen and Greenfield have urged that Ben & Jerry’s be released or repurchased, and earlier flashpoints include the brand’s 2021 decision to stop sales in Israeli settlements and Unilever’s subsequent sale of its Israeli business to a local licensee.