ONE of the co-founders of American ice cream brand Ben and Jerry’s has announced his departure after 47 years.
Jerry Greenfield, who founded the dairy firm with Ben Cohen in 1978, announced his departure after parent company Unilever continuously “silenced” the brand as it attempted to speak out on social justice issues – including the rights of women, immigrants and the LGBTQ community.
Greenfield’s statement read: “It’s with a broken heart that I’ve decided I can no longer, in good conscience, and after 47 years, remain an employee of Ben & Jerry’s.
“I am resigning from the company Ben and I started back in 1978. This is one of the hardest and most painful decisions I’ve ever made.
He continued to say that his resignation was not prompted by a loss of love for the ice cream company’s staff, saying his reasoning was “quite the opposite” and calling employees the “most passionate, caring and values-driven people you’ll ever meet”.
Unilever, which acquired Ben and Jerrys in 2000, previously had a lawsuit filed against them by the ice cream firm . The two had been at odds over Unilever’s decision to sell products in the West Bank , a Palestinian territory illegally occupied by Israel.
After 47 years, Jerry has made the difficult decision to step down from the company we built together. I’m sharing his words as he resigns from Ben & Jerry’s. His legacy deserves to be true to our values, not silenced by @MagnumGlobal #FreeBenAndJerrys pic.twitter.com/EZXGRjs76a
— Ben Cohen (@YoBenCohen) September 17, 2025
In the lawsuit, Ben and Jerry’s alleged that Unilever had breached part of an agreement struck in 2022 which required the parent company to “respect” Ben and Jerry’s social missions.
In March, a US court filing alleged that former Ben and Jerry’s chief executive David Stever was sacked as Unilever wanted him to stop making political statements .
The ice cream company is known for its stances on social issues. Cohen was arrested in May for participating in a Palestine protest at the US Capitol.
Greenfield’s statement continued: “For more than twenty years under [Unilever’s] 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.
“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.
“And it’s happening 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.
“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’ve got something to lose.”
Greenfield continued to say the firm was “always about more than just ice cream”, and that if it couldn’t “stand up for the things we believe, then it wasn’t worth being a company at all.”
He ended the statement saying: “If I can’t carry those values forward inside the company today, then I will carry them forward outside, with all the love and conviction I can.”
