Co-founder of Ben & Jerry's steps down due to conflict with Unilever concerning the Gaza conflict
In a dramatic turn of events, Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of the iconic ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's, has resigned from the company due to disagreements with parent company Unilever over their stance on the conflict in Gaza.
Greenfield's departure comes after a series of heated exchanges between the parties, with the latest being Greenfield's assertion that Ben & Jerry's has lost its independence since Unilever curtailed its social activism. This claim was made in a letter addressed to the Ben & Jerry's community and shared on the social media platform X on Wednesday.
The conflict between Ben & Jerry's and Unilever began in 2021, when Ben & Jerry's decided to stop sales in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. This decision has been a point of contention between the two companies, with Magnum Ice Cream Company, Unilever's ice cream unit, disagreeing with Jerry Greenfield's perspective and seeking to engage both co-founders in a constructive conversation.
Ben & Jerry's has been calling for its own spin-off ahead of a planned listing of Magnum Ice Cream in November. Last week, Ben Cohen, Greenfield's partner, demanded to 'free Ben & Jerry's' to protect its social values, which was rebuffed by new Magnum CEO Peter ter Kulve.
In May, Ben Cohen was removed from a U.S. Senate hearing after shouting about Congress paying for bombs to kill children in Gaza. The brand has sued Unilever, alleging efforts to silence the company and describing the Gaza conflict as genocide.
Cohen, like Greenfield, has been a longtime critic of Israeli policy. Cohen stated that the brand had attempted to engineer a sale to investors at a fair market value between $1.5 billion and $2.5 billion, but the proposal was rejected.
Unilever, a multinational company, bought Ben & Jerry’s in 2000 and allowed it to continue as an independent brand. However, Greenfield's resignation may signal a further escalation in the conflict between the company and Unilever. Magnum stated that Greenfield stepped down as a brand ambassador and is not a party to the lawsuit.
The brand's decision to stop sales in the Israeli-occupied West Bank has been a rare stance for a major U.S. company. The conflict between Ben & Jerry's and Unilever is a testament to the complexities of corporate social responsibility and the challenges of maintaining independence when part of a larger conglomerate.
