The co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream has mentioned he has a “broken heart” after quitting the corporate amid a row with its UK proprietor.
Jerry Greenfield mentioned he could not “in good conscience” proceed in his function and claimed Unilever had “silenced” its activism.
Ben & Jerry’s has clashed with its mother or father firm for various years, most notably in 2021 when the model mentioned it might cease gross sales within the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution.
The take care of Unilever in 2000 was designed to permit Ben & Jerry’s to remain impartial, with an outdoor board set as much as shield its social mission and values.
Nonetheless, in an open letter shared on X by co-founder Ben Cohen, Mr Greenfield mentioned it was “profoundly disappointing” the independence promised was now gone.
He mentioned he had a “broken heart” over his choice to give up, however claimed Ben & Jerry’s had been “silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power”.
“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,” Mr Greenfield added.
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Ben and Jerry’s boss Cohen speaks to Sky Information
Unilever is within the technique of spinning off its ice cream enterprise – which additionally consists of Magnum and Wall’s – right into a separate firm, with completion anticipated later this 12 months.
A spokesman for The Magnum Ice Cream Firm (TMICC) mentioned it disagreed with Mr Greenfield’s perspective and had tried to have interaction with each co-founders on how you can strengthen Ben & Jerry’s values-based place.
Unilever has at all times argued that it “reserved primary responsibility for financial and operational decisions” as house owners of Ben & Jerry’s – however hasn’t but responded to Mr Greenfield’s resignation.
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Greenfield (left) and Cohen in June 1987. Pic: AP
Ben Cohen mentioned final week that Ben & Jerry’s had tried to place collectively a deal to promote the agency to traders however that the proposal was rejected.
“You’re saying, would I give it back? Absolutely. If we could still have Ben and Jerry’s independent, any day”, he mentioned.
“It seems like the board of Magnum has been Trumpified”, Mr Cohen added.
Ben & Jerry’s beforehand claimed Unilever had demanded it cease public criticism of the US president. Ben Cohen himself was arrested earlier this 12 months over a protest in help of Gaza throughout a US Senate listening to.
The ice cream model started in Vermont in 1978 and its distinctive advertising and marketing and flavours – corresponding to phish meals and cherry garcia – helped make it a worldwide hit.
