Particle.news
Download on the App Store
5 ARTICLES
·
3mo ago

Unilever Threatens to Halt Ben & Jerry’s Foundation Funding Over Audit Demand

The multinational company is pressuring the foundation to expedite an audit of its progressive donations while tensions over the ice cream maker’s social mission escalate.

Image
Unilever logo is pictured on a Dove soap box in this illustration taken on January 17, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Image
Jerry Greenfield, left, and Ben Cohen, the co-founders of Ben & Jerry’s. Cohen is trying to regain control of the ice cream brand after its 25-year tie-up with Unilever

Overview

  • Unilever is demanding an expedited audit of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation’s donations, focusing on grants to progressive and pro-Palestinian groups.
  • The company has threatened to withhold the foundation’s $5 million annual funding if the audit is not conducted promptly.
  • This funding dispute follows a November lawsuit by Ben & Jerry’s independent board, accusing Unilever of silencing its social activism.
  • Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, is exploring a buyback of the brand as Unilever prepares to spin off its ice cream division into a new standalone company, Magnum.
  • The conflict highlights a broader struggle over corporate governance and the role of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles within major corporations.