Why Jerry Greenfield Walked Away from Ben & Jerry’s
Nearly fifty years after two friends started scooping ice cream in a renovated gas station in Vermont, one of them has decided it’s time to walk away. Jerry Greenfield, the co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has officially resigned from the company, and his departure has stirred up more than just nostalgia. It has reopened a debate about whether the brand’s famous social activism can survive under its corporate parent, Unilever.
The announcement was made public through a heartfelt letter from Greenfield, later shared by his longtime partner and friend, Ben Cohen. In the letter, Jerry explained that his decision was not about retirement or stepping back from business—it was about conscience. He wrote that remaining with the company had become impossible because its independence, especially when it came to social issues, had been stripped away. What made this especially painful for him was the promise, made back in 2000 when Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s, that the company’s social mission would be protected by an independent board. Jerry’s view was that this promise had been broken.
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Ben Cohen, speaking after Jerry’s announcement, said that his friend’s heart was too heavy to continue fighting from the inside. He described the conflict with Unilever as something that was “breaking Jerry’s heart,” while adding that his own path would be to remain inside the company and continue pushing for its independence. According to Cohen, Unilever has repeatedly interfered with the board that was supposed to safeguard the brand’s activism, essentially muting the company’s voice on issues it has always stood for.
This clash has been brewing for years, dating back to 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s announced it would stop selling its products in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. That move sparked political controversy, corporate pushback, and eventually a larger dispute about how far the brand should go in making public statements on sensitive issues. Critics accused Unilever of trying to muzzle Ben & Jerry’s, while supporters of the ice cream maker argued that activism had always been part of its DNA—from LGBTQ+ rights and climate change to racial justice.
The tension has only escalated since. Earlier this year, Ben & Jerry’s accused Unilever of forcing out its CEO, David Stever, as part of an effort to silence the company’s political voice. Legal filings even claimed Unilever was violating the merger agreement that was supposed to safeguard Ben & Jerry’s identity. Meanwhile, Ben Cohen himself has remained outspoken—he was even arrested this past spring during a protest in the U.S. Senate over military aid to Israel.
Greenfield’s resignation marks the most dramatic moment in this long-running fight. For many, his exit symbolizes the deep divide between a multinational parent company focused on global markets and a quirky ice cream brand that has always tied its success to activism and advocacy. In his own words, Jerry admitted this was one of the hardest decisions of his life. But he insisted he could no longer, in good conscience, work for a company that he felt had been silenced.
For fans, it raises the question: will Ben & Jerry’s remain true to its spirit without Jerry Greenfield at the helm? Or has the brand’s activism melted under corporate pressure? One thing is certain—the story of Ben & Jerry’s is still unfolding, and the clash between conscience and commerce is far from over.
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