Ben & Jerry's co-founder quits over censorship spat with Unilever
Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield quit the company, saying he felt that its parent company, Unilever, was stifling the brand's commitment to public activism.
Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield quit the company over his feeling that its parent company Unilever has not allowed it the independence to take part in public activism. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UP UPI
Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield quit the company, saying he felt that its parent company, Unilever, was stifling the brand's commitment to public activism.
Co-founder Ben Cohen shared an open letter from Greenfield on X Tuesday in which he said leaving the company was one of the "hardest and most painful decisions" he has ever made.
Greenfield said the company's "independence to pursue our values" was one of the things that was most important to him about working with Ben & Jerry's, adding that independence was "guaranteed when Unilever bought the company" in 2000.
"That independence existed in no small part because of the unique merger agreement Ben and I negotiated with Unilever, one that enshrined our social mission and values in the company's governance structure in perpetuity," Greenfield statement said. "It's profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that that independence is gone."
"And it's happening at a time when our country's current administration is attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants, women, and the LGBTQ community."
Greenfield's resignation comes after a lawsuit when Unilever fired its chief executive, David Stever over his support for the brand's political activism. In November the company also sued Unilever for its censorship over its views supporting Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas.
The ice cream company Magnum, also a part of Unilever, said the company has tried to work with the brand's co-founders.
"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," a Magnum spokesperson said in a statement.
