Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Resigns Over Gaza Dispute With Unilever
Jerry Greenfield, one of the original co-founders of Ben & Jerry’s, has officially stepped away from the company, marking the latest chapter in its ongoing clash with parent company Unilever. His decision wasn’t about ice cream flavors or branding, but about a much deeper disagreement—how the company should speak out on the Gaza conflict.
In an open letter shared online, Greenfield explained that he could no longer, in good conscience, continue his role while the company’s voice was being restricted. He described how Ben & Jerry’s, once proudly outspoken on social issues, had been “silenced” under Unilever’s control. For decades, Ben & Jerry’s was known not only for creative flavors but also for its activism—campaigning on racial justice, climate change, LGBTQ+ rights, and more. But in recent years, tensions have grown over the brand’s strong stance on Israel and Gaza.
The friction began back in 2021, when Ben & Jerry’s announced it would stop selling products in Israeli-occupied West Bank territories. That move sparked lawsuits and headlines, as Unilever attempted to rein in its subsidiary. The ice cream maker later went as far as to describe the ongoing war in Gaza as “genocide,” a rare and bold position for a U.S.-based global brand.
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Greenfield emphasized that when he and co-founder Ben Cohen sold the company to Unilever back in 2000, they negotiated a unique merger agreement designed to protect Ben & Jerry’s independence and its social mission. According to him, that independence has steadily eroded. He argued that the brand’s activism, once its hallmark, has been undermined.
Unilever’s ice cream division, which also oversees brands like Magnum, pushed back. A spokesperson said they disagreed with Greenfield’s perspective and had tried to hold constructive conversations with both founders about strengthening Ben & Jerry’s values-based approach. They also clarified that Greenfield had stepped down as a brand ambassador and was not directly involved in the lawsuits against the company.
This conflict isn’t just about internal disagreements—it comes as Ben & Jerry’s supporters and Cohen himself have renewed calls for the brand to be spun off entirely, free from Unilever’s oversight. Cohen recently protested in London and even revealed that efforts had been made to sell the company to outside investors at a fair market value. Those attempts were rejected.
For Greenfield, who started scooping ice cream alongside Cohen in a converted gas station in Vermont back in 1978, the move to resign appears deeply personal. The brand they built was always about more than dessert—it was about making a statement. And in his view, that voice has been muted.
His departure raises fresh questions: can Ben & Jerry’s remain true to its activist roots under Unilever’s ownership, or will it eventually need to break away to reclaim the independence that defined it? One thing is certain—this isn’t just about ice cream anymore. It’s about values, identity, and the power of a brand to speak out on global issues.
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