17/09/2025
Ben & Jerry’s Co-Founder Quits: When Ice Cream Meets Corporate Politics
After nearly five decades, Jerry Greenfield — the co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s — has officially stepped down from the company he helped build. But this isn’t just a retirement story. It’s about what happens when a brand built on values collides with corporate ownership.
Back in 2000, Ben & Jerry’s was sold to global giant Unilever. As part of the deal, the founders insisted that the company keep its independence, especially its right to take stands on social and political issues. For years, the brand stayed outspoken — from climate change to fair trade to global conflicts.
But Greenfield now says those protections have been weakened. His breaking point came after a series of disputes with Unilever, including Ben & Jerry’s 2021 decision to stop selling ice cream in Israeli-occupied West Bank settlements — a move that sparked lawsuits, political backlash, and tensions with its parent company.
The co-founders even offered to buy back the brand (valued between $1.5–2.5 billion), but Unilever refused. Instead, Unilever is planning to spin off its ice cream division later this year into a new company called Magnum Ice Cream Company.
🌍 Why This Matters
This isn’t just about ice cream. It’s about:
Values vs. Profits → Can a company really stay true to its activism once it’s owned by a multinational?
Contracts vs. Reality → Even if protections are written into a merger, enforcing them decades later is tough.
Consumers & Identity → For many fans, Ben & Jerry’s isn’t just dessert — it’s a brand that “stands for something.” Losing that identity risks losing loyal customers.
📌 The Takeaway
Greenfield’s exit shows the challenge of mixing business, activism, and corporate ownership. Founders want their values protected. Corporations answer to shareholders. And in between lies the brand’s reputation in the eyes of customers.
The big question now: Will Ben & Jerry’s remain a symbol of social activism, or will it melt into just another ice cream label under corporate control?
