Jerry Greenfield, the co-founder of iconic ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s, has stepped down from the company he helped launch in the late 1970s, citing persistent disagreements with its parent company, Unilever.
Known for its quirky flavors and distinctive packaging, the Vermont-based ice cream brand has built a reputation for championing progressive causes and frequently weighing in on social and political issues.
In a resignation letter shared online Tuesday, Greenfield accused Unilever, the global company that acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, of muting the brand, saying it “has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power.”
“And it’s happening at a time when our country’s current administration is attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants, women, and the LGBTQ community,” Greenfield wrote.
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“It was always about more than just ice cream; it was a way to spread love and invite others into the fight for equity, justice and a better world,” Greenfield added, quoted by NPR.
Greenfield and co-founder Ben Cohen have long been at odds with Unilever over maintaining Ben & Jerry’s autonomy and its freedom to voice opinions on political and social matters, including the Gaza conflict and climate change. When Unilever acquired the ice cream company in 2000, the merger agreement established an independent board tasked with safeguarding Ben & Jerry’s social mission.
In March, Ben & Jerry’s filed a lawsuit against Unilever, alleging that the parent company had dismissed its CEO in response to the brand’s continued activism on social media.
In a statement sent via email Wednesday, Magnum Ice Cream Co., the Unilever subsidiary that oversees Ben & Jerry’s expressed gratitude to Greenfield for co-founding the company and acknowledged his years of dedication and contributions. “We disagree with his perspective and have sought to engage both co-founders in a constructive conversation on how to strengthen Ben & Jerry’s powerful values-based position in the world,” Magnum said.
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“We remain committed to Ben & Jerry’s unique three-part mission – product, economic and social – and remain focused on carrying forward the legacy of peace, love, and ice cream of this iconic, much-loved brand,” the company added.
Magnum is scheduled to separate from Unilever in mid-November in what the companies are describing as a “demerger.”
Greenfield and Cohen have been advocating through the “Free Ben & Jerry’s” campaign for Unilever or Magnum to sell the ice cream brand, but their efforts have not yet yielded results.
“This is a marriage that has fallen apart, is definitely on the rocks,” Cohen said. “All we’re saying is, ‘It’s clear you don’t love us as we are anymore. Let us be free and let us find a socially-aligned owner, so that Magnum can be Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s can be Ben & Jerry’s.’”