Ben & Jerry’s co-founder resigns over parent company curbing activism

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Financial Times
Today 16:46

Jerry Greenfield has resigned from Ben & Jerry’s, accusing Unilever of eroding the brand’s independence and silencing its tradition of social activism.

Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP)

Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has stepped down from the ice cream brand he helped launch nearly five decades ago, the Financial Times reported. The Vermont-based company, now owned by UK multinational Unilever, has been accused by Greenfield of undermining its social mission and silencing its activism.

In a letter shared with FT, Greenfield said he could no longer “in good conscience” remain with a brand that had lost the independence he and Ben Cohen secured during the 2000 merger with Unilever.

“That independence existed in no small part because of the unique merger agreement,” he wrote, stressing that its erosion marked the loss of the very foundation of the deal.

The conflict traces back to 2021, when Unilever overruled Ben & Jerry’s decision to halt ice cream sales in the occupied Palestinian territories. The reversal followed pressure from "Israel" and triggered a dispute between the co-founders, the independent board, and the parent company.

Unilever’s spin-off, investor pushback

Unilever is preparing to spin off its ice cream division, including brands like Walls and Magnum, under a new entity: The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC). The spin-off, scheduled for mid-November, will see listings in Amsterdam, London, and New York.

Ahead of the transition, Cohen and Greenfield published an open letter urging Unilever to “release” the brand. They argued that by restricting Ben & Jerry’s social mission, Unilever had undermined both the company’s identity and long-term value.

The co-founders have sought investors to buy back the brand. Cohen revealed that interested parties had approached them with sufficient capital to make an offer, but Unilever repeatedly refused, blocking access to financial records.

The fight to protect Ben & Jerry’s social activism

Ben & Jerry’s independent board, created to safeguard the brand’s values, is suing Unilever for breaching the merger agreement. The lawsuit contends that the parent company has prevented the brand from speaking on key social and political issues.

“It’s an incredible waste of energy and time on the part of both parties,” Cohen said. “They say they believe in the social mission of Ben & Jerry’s, but they are thwarting it. If you love it, let it go.”

TMICC responded by praising Greenfield’s legacy but rejected his criticism. Chief executive Peter ter Kulve called the dispute a “simple governance issue,” adding that disagreements began when Ben & Jerry’s board “started reinterpreting our original purchase agreement.”