Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield is resigning from the ice cream brand after nearly five decades, amid a deepening rift with owner Unilever.
In a letter posted on co-founder Ben Cohen’s X account, Greenfield said Unilever has abandoned its promise to give Ben & Jerry's independence to speak out on progressive social issues and instead chosen to have the brand “silenced [and] sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power.”
“It's with a broken heart that I’ve decided I can no longer, in good conscience, and after 47 years, remain an employee of Ben & Jerry’s,” Greenfield said. “This is one of the hardest and most painful decisions I have ever made.”
Greenfield’s departure is the latest salvo between the Cherry Garcia maker and parent Unilever, which purchased the ice cream maker in 2000. For the first 20-plus years, Ben & Jerry’s was free to speak out on social issues important to the brand and its owners, a key part of the deal the co-founders negotiated when they sold the brand, Greenfield said.
But during the last four years, Ben & Jerry's claims that its freedom has eroded. The brand previously said Unilever demanded it stop publicly criticizing President Donald Trump and tried to block it from making public statements advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza. The companies also disagreed earlier this year on whether Unilever fired Ben & Jerry’s CEO over his support for the brand’s social mission.
"It was always about more than just ice cream; it was a way to spread love and invite others into the fight for equity, justice and a better world," Greenfield wrote. "Coming to the conclusion that this is no longer possible at Ben & Jerry's means I can no longer remain part of Ben & Jerry's."
Last week, Greenfield and Cohen asked Unilever to let it operate independently and exclude the brand from its plan to spin off its ice cream unit into a new business called The Magnum Ice Cream Company. Magnum said Ben & Jerry's will remain within the portfolio, which also includes Klondike, Breyers and Talenti.
In a statement discussing Greenfield’s resignation, Magnum thanked him for “his service and support over many decades.”
“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 company said. “We remain committed to Ben & Jerry’s unique three-part mission – product, economic and social.”
