Jerry Greenfield, the co-founder of the iconic ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s, made the declaration official on social media. In a message, he stated that he could no longer bring to life the company’s founding principles of love and social justice. Deeply passionate about civil rights and social advocacy, Greenfield—who co-founded the loved brand with Ben Cohen in 1978—implemented this value. He is deeply concerned by the recent move from their parent company, Unilever to destroy these critical brand values.
The move was announced years after the successful collaboration in name and spirit with Unilever—the company that had bought Ben & Jerry’s in 2000. As evidence of their creativity, Greenfield described the unusual merger agreement they developed. This compact secures the firm’s social mission and values, continuing to orient them through its management concord. New actions have made him doubt Unilever’s professed dedication to these principles.
In his resignation statement, Greenfield shared, “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.” He further elaborated on his stance regarding Unilever’s actions, noting, “standing up for the values of justice, equity, and our shared humanity has never been more important.”
Greenfield’s concerns grew particularly loud following a lawsuit filed by Ben & Jerry’s against Unilever in March. As a remedy, the lawsuit accused the multibillion dollar corporation of unlawfully ousting CEO David Stever. As a result, many saw this move as a thinly-veiled attempt to undermine the company’s independence. Greenfield remarked that Ben & Jerry’s has been “silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power,” asserting that true commitment to values is tested during challenging times.
Ben Cohen, co-founder and longtime friend of Greenfield, took to social media to announce his feelings concerning the resignation. He stated, “I never thought I would have to write this, but after 47 years Jerry has made the difficult decision to stand down from the company we built together.” To this day, Cohen believes that Greenfield’s legacy should stay true to the core principles they set as the bedrock for their newly formed company. He added, “His legacy deserves to be true to the values we founded this company on, not silenced by @magnum.”
Greenfield outlined specific concerns regarding Unilever’s actions, stating they were “attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants, women, and the LGBTQ community.” He indicated that if he could not continue promoting these values within Ben & Jerry’s, he would do so externally with “all the love and conviction [he] can.”
The company had a number of struggles during their time beneath Unilever. One spokesperson for Magnum ice cream — also owned by Unilever — was pretty thankful to Greenfield. The spokesperson said, “We will be forever grateful to Jerry for his role in co-founding such an amazing ice cream company.” They formalized their commitment to the social mission of Ben & Jerry’s. At the center of this mission lies a commitment to product excellence, economic justice, and social equity.
Greenfield’s departure is an inflection point for Ben & Jerry’s. As the company grows, it’s searching for its own identity against the backdrop of corporate pressures. The co-founders created Ben & Jerry’s on an ice cream- and brownie-infused reputation of advocacy and social responsibility. Ben & Jerry’s, the ice cream maker known for taking stands against injustices and for equity in communities for decades now.
