Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigns citing loss of independence under Unilever

Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Jerry Greenfield Quits Company Amid Unilever Rift

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield, whose name helped shape the popular ice cream brand, has decided to leave the company, according to his partner Ben Cohen. The move deepens the ongoing conflict with parent company Unilever.

In an open letter shared by Cohen on social media, Greenfield expressed his concerns about the loss of independence at the Vermont-based company since Unilever restricted its social activism.

Since 2021, Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s have been at odds, particularly after the ice cream maker announced it would cease sales in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The brand has taken a strong stance on social issues, including describing the Gaza conflict as “genocide.”

Greenfield stated that he could no longer work for a company that had been “silenced” by Unilever, despite a merger agreement intended to protect the brand’s social mission.

“That independence existed in no small part because of the unique merger agreement Ben and I negotiated with Unilever,” he wrote in the letter.

A spokesperson for Magnum Ice Cream, a Unilever brand, expressed disagreement with Greenfield’s perspective and indicated a willingness to engage in constructive dialogue with both co-founders to uphold Ben & Jerry’s values.

Unilever has not yet responded to a request for comment on the matter. Last week, Ben Cohen revealed that the brand had proposed a sale to investors at a valuation between $1.5 billion and $2.5 billion, but the offer was turned down amid tensions with Unilever.