Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigns, cites loss of independence under Unilever
Greenfield says Unilever curtailed the brand’s social activism; Ben Cohen confirms departure amid ongoing legal and corporate dispute
Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has resigned from the company, his longtime partner Ben Cohen said Wednesday, saying the Vermont-based ice cream maker has lost its independence after its acquisition by Unilever.
In an open letter shared on social media platform X, Greenfield said he could no longer "in good conscience" continue working for a company that had been "silenced" by its parent despite a merger agreement intended to safeguard Ben & Jerry’s social mission. The departure deepens a public rift that has existed between the brand and Unilever since 2021.
The two co-founders negotiated a unique merger agreement with Unilever when the global consumer goods company acquired Ben & Jerry’s, with the agreement designed to preserve the ice cream maker’s values-driven activism and autonomy. Greenfield said in his letter that those protections had been undermined and that the company’s ability to take public positions had been curtailed.
Ben & Jerry’s has been at odds with Unilever since 2021, when the brand announced it would stop selling its products in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The brand has since taken further stances tied to the Gaza conflict, describing the situation as "genocide," and has filed a lawsuit against Unilever alleging the parent company has tried to silence its political and social advocacy. Those actions and the ensuing legal battle have been uncommon for a major U.S. consumer brand.
A Magnum Ice Cream spokesperson said the company disagrees with Greenfield’s characterization and has sought to engage both co-founders "in a constructive conversation on how to strengthen Ben & Jerry’s powerful values-based position in the world." Unilever did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The split comes as tensions have escalated over governance and commercial control. Last week, Ben Cohen said the brand had attempted to facilitate a sale to investors at a fair market value between $1.5 billion and $2.5 billion amid the dispute, a proposal that he said was rejected by Unilever.
Greenfield and Cohen founded Ben & Jerry’s nearly five decades ago and built the business into a global brand known for its progressive stances on social issues as well as its ice cream flavors. The merger agreement with Unilever was widely seen as a mechanism to allow the company to retain a degree of independence over its social mission even after joining a multinational parent.
Greenfield’s resignation marks a notable escalation in the public conflict between the founders and Unilever over the direction and independence of the brand. The ongoing litigation and public positions taken by Ben & Jerry’s leadership have left the future contours of the company's governance and activism unresolved.
As of Wednesday, there was no immediate indication of who would assume Greenfield’s responsibilities at Ben & Jerry’s. The company and Unilever face continued scrutiny from activists, investors and consumers over whether the brand can maintain its distinct social identity while operating under the governance of a large multinational.
The departure is likely to keep the dispute in the headlines as the legal case and negotiations over the brand’s autonomy proceed.