Ben & Jerry’s's Co-founder Jerry Greenfield Steps Down, Claiming Unilever Silenced Activist Vision
Ben & Jerry’s's co-creator Jerry Greenfield has parted ways from the iconic company after nearly 50 years, as stated by a post from his business partner Ben Cohen.
The announcement included what he called a letter from Greenfield, in which the departing executive labeled it one of the “toughest and difficult decisions” of his career.
Greenfield stated that the organization had been restrained by its corporate owner and that its independence to speak out on social causes was now “gone.”
“Unless the business was willing to advocate for the things we believed in, then it wasn’t worth being a company at all,” Greenfield said.
This move came despite a acquisition deal meant to safeguard the company’s ethical commitments, Greenfield noted.
“This autonomy existed in no small part because of the unique acquisition terms” that he and Cohen had arranged with Unilever, Greenfield wrote.
Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Last week, Cohen said that amid ongoing tensions with the parent company, the brand had attempted to arrange a sale to buyers at a fair market value of $1.5 to $2.5 billion, but the offer was turned down.
Unilever and the ice cream brand have been at odds since at least 2021, when the ice-cream maker said it would stop selling in the contested West Bank. The brand has also sued its owner over alleged attempts to silence it and has called the conflict in Gaza “atrocities.”
