The Jerry in Ben & Jerry’s Says He’s Leaving After Unilever Puts the Chill On Brand’s Social Activism

One of the namesakes of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is leaving the brand after nearly 50 years claiming that corporate owner Unilever has muzzled the company’s outspoken social activism.

Co-founder Jerry Greenfield declared through a letter posted by his longtime colleague Ben Cohen on X that the brass at Unilever had stripped away the brand’s long-time independence to speak out on social and political issues.

“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,” Mr. Greenfield writes. “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.”

Unilever has owned the Vermont-based company since 2000 after shelling out $326 million but Ben & Jerry’s has long operated with an independent board of directors enabling them to preserve its social mission and brand identity.

Mr. Greenfield says in his letter that the popular brand known for concoctions with names like Cherry Garcia and Phish Food, “was always about more than just ice cream.”

“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,” he writes. “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.”

The London-based Unilever is currently in the process of spinning off its ice cream brand into a stand-alone company under their name The Magnum Ice Cream Company. Messrs. Greenfield and Cohen have been making a push to buy back the company saying in a previous letter to the board that the Ben and Jerry’s should not be part of a company that no longer supports its founding mission.

In a statement to The Associated Press, a spokesperson for Magnum thanked Mr. Greenfield for his contributions to the creamery.

“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,” the spokesperson said.