Ben & Jerry’s co-founder quits over Unilever ‘silencing’ of social mission |
| Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield has quit the ice cream brand he launched almost half a century ago, saying the Vermont-based company has lost its independence since Unilever put a stop to its social activism. Ben Cohen, who started the company with Mr Greenfield, shared a statement from him that said quitting was “one of the hardest and most painful decisions” he’d ever made. “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," he said in the statement. “And it’s happening at a time when our country’s current administration is attacking civil rights, voting rights of immigrants, women, and the LGBTQ community." A spokesperson for The Magnum Ice Cream Company, the Unilever subsidiary which controls Ben & Jerry's, said on Wednesday that it disagreed “with Jerry’s perspective and (has) sought to engage both co-founders in constructive conversation.” |
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