Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder Jerry Greenfield Quits After 47 Years, Says Unilever 'Silenced' Brand
Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, quit the ice cream company after 47 years. The 74-year-old says parent company Unilever has "silenced" and "muzzled" the brand's social and political activism.
Jerry Greenfield has stepped away from Ben & Jerry's after nearly five decades with the ice cream brand he helped create. The 74-year-old co-founder announced his resignation through his business partner Ben Cohen, citing frustration with how parent company Unilever handles the brand.
Both Greenfield and Cohen claim Unilever has "muzzled" Ben & Jerry's from openly campaigning for social causes the brand believes in. Greenfield said he felt "torn apart" by the situation and that the company has lost its independence under Unilever's control.
Ben & Jerry's has long been known for taking stands on political and social issues, from climate change to criminal justice reform. The founders say this activism was core to the brand's mission from the beginning.
Unilever, the British consumer goods giant, bought Ben & Jerry's in 2000 but has faced ongoing tensions with the founders over the brand's social mission and independence.
This shows how big corporations can limit smaller brands they own from speaking out on social issues. It affects what messages consumers see from companies they support and buy from.
Watch for Unilever's response and whether Ben & Jerry's changes its social activism approach going forward.
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