Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder Jerry Greenfield Leaves Amid Conflict with Unilever Over Values

Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigned due to pressure from parent company Unilever to remain quiet about his values. Greenfield was "torn apart" by the conflict and felt relief at leaving. Co-founder Ben Cohen plans to stay with the company and is working to convince Unilever to sell it to a group of private investors who will champion the company's social mission.

Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield has resigned from the ice cream company due to pressure from parent company Unilever to remain quiet about his values. Greenfield, who co-founded Ben & Jerry's with Ben Cohen in 1978, has been a vocal advocate for social causes such as LGBTQ+ rights, civil rights, voting rights, and the rights of women and immigrants. However, he felt compelled to leave the company after Unilever asked him to keep quiet about these issues.

In a resignation letter posted publicly, Greenfield expressed his deep regret for leaving the company he helped build. "Love, equity, justice — they're part of who Ben and I are, and they've always been the true foundation of Ben & Jerry's," he wrote. "If the company couldn't stand up for the things we believed, then it wasn't worth being a company at all."

Greenfield's departure has left Ben Cohen, who remains with the company, determined to preserve Ben & Jerry's social mission. Cohen is working with an independent board to convince Unilever to sell the company to a group of private investors who will champion Ben & Jerry's values. "I'm glad that we're both standing up for the values of Ben & Jerry's," Cohen told CNN. "I think that I can be most helpful from the inside and Jerry's going to try to be helpful from the outside."

Unilever, which acquired Ben & Jerry's in 2000, has not commented publicly on the situation. The company has been known for its commitment to sustainability, as evidenced by its Sustainable Living Plan, which aims to improve the health and well-being of a billion people, halve its environmental footprint, and enhance the livelihoods of millions. Unilever's Magnum Ice Cream Company is expected to be listed and start trading on November 10 Unilever says admission of the Magnum Ice Cream Company shares to listing & trading expected on Nov 10^[2].

Greenfield's resignation highlights the ongoing tension between corporate values and social responsibility. It remains to be seen how Unilever will respond to Cohen's efforts to sell Ben & Jerry's to private investors who align with the company's social mission.