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After 47 years of partnership, Jerry Greenfield has decided to part ways with his partner Ben Cohen and their beloved ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s. The reason? The co-founder feels he is being silenced by parent company Unilever on important social issues.
A Progressive Brand
The ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s has a long history of being outspoken on its progressive political and social views. They’ve spoken out on several issues, promoting peace, justice, and human rights.
Differences With Their Parent Company
In recent years, however, the brand has been at odds with its parent company, Unilever, which Jerry believes is “silencing” the brand’s progressive voice. Unilever bought the ice cream company in 2000 for $236 million.
A Unique Deal
The deal was unique in that Ben & Jerry’s was granted an independent board of directors. This was due to the co-founders’ dedication to maintaining the brand identity, mission, and integrity. However, there has reportedly been unrest between the co-founders and parent company for the past several years, including a discussion to buy back the brand in 2025.
The Announcement
Ben Cohen posted a letter from Jerry Greenfield on the brand’s social media. Jerry stated, “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. It’s profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that that independence, the very basis of our sale to Unilever, is gone.”
Issues with the Trump Administration
He also explained that he was directly referring to his issues with the Trump administration. He stated that the administration “is attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants, women, and the LGBTQ community,” which are all social causes near and dear to the founder’s heart.
Unrest Within the Company
Magnum, also under the ownership of Unilever, put out a statement disagreeing with Jerry’s sentiment. It reads, “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.”
Court Filings
In March of this year, the beloved ice cream brand stated that its CEO, David Stever, was unlawfully removed by Unilever in response to his social and political activism. Ben & Jerry’s promptly ordered a court filing, which claimed the removal of its CEO violated its merger agreement.
An Outdated Agreement
The agreement to allow the Ben & Jerry’s brand to remain somewhat independent under Unilever’s ownership was created 25 years ago during a time in which brands speaking out on politics was completely different. In today’s charged environment, business analysts are not entirely surprised to see these kinds of disagreements take place.
Jerry’s Goodbye
Jerry said goodbye to the brand in his letter with some encouraging, if not haunting, final words: “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.”