Jerry quits Ben & Jerry's after 47 years, says parent company 'silencing' him

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File: Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield at the global announcement of Ben & Jerry's ice cream going 100% Fairtrade on February 18, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Davies/Getty Images)

Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield is stepping down from the iconic ice cream brand after 47 years, claiming his progressive political views have been "silenced" by Ben & Jerry’s parent company Unilever.  

Co-founder Ben Cohen shared the news in a letter posted on X on Greenfield’s behalf. 

"His legacy deserves to be true to our values, not silenced," Cohen wrote. 

Why is Jerry Greenfield quitting Ben & Jerry’s? 

What they're saying:

In the letter, Greenfield called his resignation "one of the hardest and most painful decisions I’ve ever made."

"For more than 20 years under their ownership, Ben & Jerry's stood up and spoke out in support of peace, justice and human rights, not as abstract concepts, but in relation to real events happening in our world," he wrote. "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. It's profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that that independence, the very basis of our sale to Unilever, is gone." 

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Greenfield said that the loss of independence was coming "at a time when our country's current administration is attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants, women and the LGBTQ community." 

"Standing up for the values of justice, equity, and our shared humanity has never been more important, and yet Ben & Jerry's has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power," he said. "It's easy to stand up and speak out when there's nothing at risk. The real test of values is when times are challenging and you have something to lose."

Ben & Jerry's "was always about more than just ice cream; it was a way to spread love and invite others into the fight for equity, justice and a better world," Greenfield said. 

The other side:

A spokesperson for The Magnum Ice Cream Company, a spinoff of Ben & Jerry’s parent company Unilever, said it would be forever grateful to Greenfield for his contributions to Ben & Jerry's and thanked him for his service, but was not aligned with his viewpoint.

"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 spokesperson said in a statement. 

Magnum said it is still committed to Ben & Jerry's mission and remains "focused on carrying forward the legacy of peace, love, and ice cream of this iconic, much-loved brand."

Ben & Jerry’s fallout with Unilever

The backstory:

Unilever bought Ben & Jerry’s 25 years ago for $326 million. At the time, Ben & Jerry’s said the partnership would help the progressive Vermont-based company expand its social mission.

But in recent years, the merger has become fractured. In 2021, Ben & Jerry’s announced it would stop serving Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and contested east Jerusalem. The following year, Unilever sold its Israeli business to a local company that said it would sell Ben & Jerry’s under its Hebrew and Arabic name throughout Israel and the West Bank.

In November, Ben & Jerry’s sued Unilever in federal court in New York, accusing it of silencing Ben & Jerry’s statements in support of Palestinians in the Gaza war. Ben & Jerry’s said Unilever also refused to let the company release a social media post that identified issues it believed would be challenged during President Donald Trump’s second term, including minimum wages, universal health care, abortion and climate change.

In March, Ben & Jerry’s amended its Unilever lawsuit for removing Ben & Jerry’s CEO David Stever over politics.

Two months later, co-founder Ben Cohen was arrested on Capitol Hill for disrupting a Senate hearing with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.