Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s announced this week that he is leaving the company after 47 years over claims that he was being “silenced” on expressing opinions on social justice issues by Unilever, the British parent company of the iconic ice cream brand.
Greenfield penned a post that was shared on X (formally Twitter) by company co-founder Ben Cohen that expressed his feelings over parting with the company that the duo started back in 1978 when they opened their first ice cream parlor in a former gas station in Vermont. In 2000, the two sold the business to Unilever for $326 million, with Greenfield, 74, remaining with the company as a salaried brand ambassador.
“For more than 20 years under their ownership, Ben & Jerry’s stood up and spoke out in support of peace, justice and human rights, not as abstract concepts, but in relation to real events happening in our world,” he wrote. “That independence existed in no small part because of the unique merger agreement Ben and I negotiated with Unilever, one that enshrined our social mission and values in the company’s governance structure in perpetuity. It’s profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that that independence, the very basis of our sale to Unilever, is gone.”
Losing that independence, Greenfield said, occurred “at a time when our country’s current administration is attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants, women and the LGBTQ community.”
“Standing up for the values of justice, equity, and our shared humanity has never been more important, and yet Ben & Jerry’s has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power,” his statement continued. “It’s easy to stand up and speak out when there’s nothing at risk. The real test of values is when times are challenging and you have something to lose.”
Among the conflicts that Greenfield and Cohen have had with Unilever include their objection to the company selling a Ben & Jerry’s business in Israel in 2022 to a licensee in occupied Palestinian territory.
