The ice cream brand is buzzing.
Ben Cohen (pictured left) and Jerry Greenfield are known as the founders and activists of the ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s. The picture is from 2019. EPA / AOP
Ben & Jerry´s ice cream brand’s other founder, Jerry Greenfieldhas left the company. The founding partner told about it Ben Cohen Message Service X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.
Ben & Jerry’s was founded in 1978.
Greenfield says in his open farewell letter that he feels like he can work with Ben & Jerry’s with a good conscience.
“This is one of the most difficult and painful decisions I’ve ever made,” Greenfield writes.
According to him, when Unilever purchased Ben & Jerry’s 25 years ago, he was promised to maintain his independence in the field of activism. Now, according to Greenfield, this independence has been lost.
According to Reuters news agency, there have been conflicts between Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s since 2021, when Ben & Jerry’s announced that it would stop selling on the West Bank occupied by Israel. The brand has since challenged the parent company because of alleged silence attempts and described Gaza’s conflict as a genocide.
The position of the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream brand is reflected, for example, in the name of the products. EPA / AOP
In his letter, Greenfield states that he is disappointed with Unilever.
-All of this happens during which our country (the United States, Ed. Note) attacks civil rights, voting rights, immigrant rights, women and the LGBTQ community. The defense of values such as justice, equality and humane defense has never been more important, but Ben & Jerry’s has been silent and intimidated by the authorities. It’s easy to get up and defend yourself when nothing is threatened. The real test of values is when times are challenging and you have something to lose.
Greenfield writes that Ben & Jerry’s was always more than just ice cream for its founders.
-It was a way of spreading love and inviting others for equality, justice and a better world. When I come to the conclusion that it is no longer possible with Ben & Jerry’s, I can no longer be part of it.
According to Reuters, a representative of Unilever -owned Magnum Ice Cream stated that they did not agree with Greenfield’s view and have sought to have a constructive discussion with both founders on how Ben & Jerry’s strong values could be strengthened.