Ben & Jerry's Co‑founder Jerry Greenfield Quits Amid Row with Unilever Over Social Activism

Jerry Greenfield, co‑founder of Ben & Jerry's, has resigned from the ice cream maker after nearly 50 years, saying he could no longer "in good conscience" continue at a business he believes has been "silenced" by parent company Unilever.

In a letter shared on social media by fellow co‑founder Ben Cohen, Greenfield said the company had lost its independence after Unilever curtailed Ben & Jerry's public activism. His departure deepens a dispute that has persisted since 2021, when the Vermont‑based brand announced it would stop selling its products in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

A spokesperson for The Magnum Ice Cream Company, the Unilever unit being spun off that now oversees Ben & Jerry's, said it was grateful to Greenfield for his contributions but disagreed with his characterization of events. "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," the spokesperson said. The company also said it had been in dialogue with the two founders before Greenfield's decision to leave.

Greenfield said stepping down was "one of the hardest and most painful decisions" of his life. He argued that protections for the brand's social mission, put in place when Ben & Jerry's merged with Unilever 25 years ago, had been eroded.

The dispute has included legal and personnel clashes. In March, Ben & Jerry's said its chief executive, David Stever, was being removed by Unilever. The brand later filed a legal case in a U.S. court alleging that Unilever had violated the merger agreement by attempting to silence Ben & Jerry's social mission. Ben & Jerry's also alleged last year that Unilever demanded the company stop publicly criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump; Unilever has disputed some of the public accounts of internal discussions, saying it was "disappointed that the confidentiality of an employee career conversation has been made public."

Ben & Jerry's was founded in 1978 and has long been known for taking public positions on social issues, including LGBTQ+ rights and climate change. The row over sales in Israeli settlements in 2021 prompted public scrutiny and a series of legal and corporate maneuvers as the brand and its parent sought to chart a path forward.

The latest developments follow other public actions by the co‑founders. In May, Ben Cohen was arrested during a protest in the U.S. Senate over military aid to Israel and humanitarian conditions in Gaza; he was charged with a misdemeanor, while other demonstrators faced more serious charges, U.S. Capitol Police said.

Unilever and The Magnum Ice Cream Company did not accept Greenfield's account that the brand had been entirely silenced. The Magnum spokesperson said the company had engaged with the founders and intended to maintain the brand's values, while Unilever reiterated concerns about confidentiality around personnel matters.

Greenfield's exit marks the latest chapter in a long‑running dispute that has raised questions about how socially driven consumer brands and large corporate parents manage political and social advocacy. With legal proceedings ongoing and public attention on the founders' activism, the fate of Ben & Jerry's public voice under Unilever ownership remains a central issue for investors, consumers and advocacy groups alike.