The co-founder of the iconic ice-cream brand Ben & Jerry’s, Jerry Greenfield, has resigned from the company after nearly five decades, citing the erosion of its independence and accusing parent company Unilever of silencing its founding social mission.
In a letter shared by fellow co-founder Ben Cohen, Greenfield stated he could no longer “in good conscience” remain employed by a business he believes has been muzzled, despite assurances made during its acquisition by Unilever in 2000.
“It is profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that that independence, the very basis of our sale to Unilever, is gone,” he wrote. “If the company couldn’t stand up for the things we believed, then it wasn’t worth being a company at all.”
Although Greenfield and Cohen have had no operational control since the sale, both remained involved to safeguard the brand’s progressive values. Greenfield described his departure as one of the “hardest and most painful decisions” of his life.
His resignation follows a protracted dispute over Unilever’s reversal of an agreement allowing Ben & Jerry’s to refrain from selling its products in occupied Palestinian territories, a move that drew sharp criticism in Israel. Unilever later sold the Israeli division to a local licensee, prompting Ben & Jerry’s to sue its parent company. A settlement was reached in 2022.
Further tensions emerged last year when Ben & Jerry’s initiated legal proceedings against Unilever, alleging threats to dismantle its independent board and sue directors over public statements supporting Palestinians in Gaza.
The letter announcing Greenfield’s resignation coincides with Unilever’s plans to spin off its ice-cream division, Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC), which includes brands such as Wall’s. The new entity is expected to be listed in Amsterdam, with secondary listings in London and New York.
Ahead of TMICC’s first capital markets day, Cohen and Greenfield published an open letter urging the board and prospective investors to “release” the brand, arguing that Unilever’s actions had undermined its social mission and diminished its value.
The pair have sought investors to reacquire Ben & Jerry’s, proposing a sale at a fair market value of between $1.5bn and $2.5bn (£1.1bn, £1.8bn). However, Unilever has maintained the brand is not for sale. “The problem is that Unilever and Magnum don’t want to sell, so they are not allowing any of these potential investors to see the financials,” Cohen said.
A spokesperson for TMICC expressed gratitude for Greenfield’s contributions but stated the company “disagreed with his perspective” and had attempted to engage both founders in “constructive conversation” regarding the brand’s future.
In May, Cohen was arrested during a protest against the Gaza blockade at a US Senate hearing, charged with “crowding and obstructing” others. Footage posted online showed him being removed from the committee room in handcuffs.
Ben & Jerry’s was founded in 1978 after the two friends completed a $5 correspondence course in ice-cream making. Their first shop opened in a converted petrol station in Burlington, Vermont, with a mission to “advance human rights and dignity”. Known for its whimsical flavour names such as Cherry Garcia and Cool Britannia, the company began donating nearly 8% of its annual pre-tax profits to charity from 1985.
Its success attracted Unilever, which acquired the brand in 2000 for $326m. The deal included provisions for an independent board to preserve its social activism. However, legal experts suggest such arrangements rarely endure. “However much a formerly independent company will try to retain its identity and ethos, the corporate buyer will invariably call the shots in the long run,” said Nick Stockley, partner at law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter.
