Ben & Jerry's co-founder quits, says independence "gone" under Unilever

The co-founder of Ben & Jerry's has resigned from the ice cream brand after saying his company, known for its social activism, has lost "the independence to pursue our values" under the ownership of British giant Unilever.

Jerry Greenfield's announcement follows the company's failure in 2022 to block Unilever from selling its ice cream in West Bank settlements, which Ben & Jerry's said would run counter to its values.

Greenfield said he could "no longer, in good conscience, and after 47 years, remain an employee" of the Vermont-based company, according to a statement published on X by co-founder Ben Cohen late Tuesday.

The brand was founded by the two school friends in 1978 and acquired by Unilever in 2000. It is now owned by the Magnum Ice Cream Company, a Unilever subsidiary.

Greenfield said his company "has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power" at a time when the current U.S. administration is "attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants, women and the LGBTQ community."

"It's profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that that independence, the very basis of our sale to Unilever, is gone," he added.

Cohen said in his post that Greenfield's "legacy deserves to be true to our values, not silenced by (Magnum)."

A Magnum spokesperson said the company remains committed to the Ben & Jerry's mission and legacy.

"We disagree with (Greenfield's) 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," the spokesperson said. "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," he added.

In May, the 74-year-old Cohen was removed from a U.S. Senate hearing after shouting "Congress pays for bombs to kill children in Gaza" and startling Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.

A longtime critic of Israeli policy, Cohen last year joined prominent Jewish figures in an open letter opposing the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC.

Unilever is in the process of spinning off Magnum, which is expected to begin standalone operations by mid-November.