Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, has stepped down from his famous ice cream company, citing the loss of its independence and the silencing of its trademark activism under parent company Unilever. Greenfield's resignation, announced by business partner Ben Cohen on social media, follows years of mounting friction between the brand's founders and Unilever, which acquired Ben & Jerry's in 2000, per the New York Times.
Greenfield, 74, said he could no longer "in good conscience" remain at the company after his 47 years there, arguing that the safeguards put in place during the merger to protect Ben & Jerry's values-driven mission have eroded. He described the company's signature activism as "silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power" and called the loss of the company's independence "profoundly disappointing." A spokesperson for Cohen confirms to the Wall Street Journal that his position at the company remains the same, for now.
Ben & Jerry's had a unique arrangement under Unilever, maintaining an independent board to oversee its social mission. However, that relationship soured, culminating last year in a lawsuit by Ben & Jerry's against Unilever that accused the latter of undermining the board's authority and seeking to muzzle the company's stance on issues such as the conflict in Gaza. Unilever disputed those claims. Unilever, currently spinning off its ice cream businesses (including Ben & Jerry's) into the new Magnum Ice Cream Company, thanked Greenfield for decades of service but disagreed with his perspective, noting efforts to engage both founders.
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