Jerry Greenfield Resigns from Ben & Jerry’s, Claims Unilever Silenced Its Activism

Jerry Greenfield, one-half of the duo that constructed Ben & Jerry’s right into a cultural staple, has stepped away from the corporate after 47 years.

In a heartfelt letter to the neighborhood, he defined that he may not stick with the ice cream model he began with Ben Cohen again in 1978. His purpose was clear.

He believes Unilever, the multinational mother or father firm that purchased Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, has stripped away the very independence and activist spirit that made the model extra than simply an ice cream enterprise.

For many years, Ben & Jerry’s stood out not just for its artistic flavors however for its unapologetic political voice. The corporate spoke out on the whole lot from civil rights to LGBTQ+ equality, immigration, and, most not too long ago, Gaza, the place it aligned its platform with requires human rights.

Greenfield says that freedom to take a stand was written into the deal when he and Cohen offered the corporate to Unilever. However now, he argues, that promise has been damaged.

In his resignation, Greenfield defined that Ben & Jerry’s has been sidelined, silenced, and stored from talking on points that matter most. He stated it’s straightforward for a corporation to take a stand when nothing is at stake, however the true check of values is talking out when there’s something to lose. For him, staying with an organization that not honored its activist roots was not attainable.

He described the model’s basis as at all times being about greater than ice cream. From day one, it was about spreading love, fairness, and justice by one thing so simple as a scoop.

Greenfield says these values outlined Ben & Jerry’s from the start, however now, beneath company management, they’ve been pushed apart. If he can’t proceed that mission inside the corporate, he says he’ll proceed to hold it ahead outdoors with the identical conviction.

Greenfield’s exit closes a outstanding chapter in American enterprise and activism. His determination leaves behind a strong query for followers and followers: Will Ben & Jerry’s nonetheless be the socially acutely aware model folks trusted, or simply one other product beneath a world company’s watch?