Ben Jerry's co-founder leaves the company, accusing Unilever of suppressing the brand's stand during a dispute over Palestine matters
In a series of unexpected events, ice cream giant Ben & Jerry's finds itself embroiled in a dispute with its parent company, Unilever. The tension between the two entities began in 2021, when Ben & Jerry's announced its decision to halt the sale of ice cream in the occupied Palestinian territories. This move was in line with the company's long-standing commitment to social activism, a trait that has been a part of Ben & Jerry's since its inception in a renovated gas station in 1978 by co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. Over the years, Ben & Jerry's has partnered with various individuals and organizations to support numerous social causes. However, this activism has been a point of contention between the two companies. In September 2021, Ben & Jerry's debuted a new ice cream flavor in support of a $10 billion bill by Rep. Cori Bush, aiming to replace police officers with social workers and other first responders in incidents of mental health and substance abuse. This move was met with resistance from Unilever, leading to a rift between the two entities. The dispute escalated further when Ben & Jerry's announced its support for the Land Back Movement, a campaign aimed at restoring the rights and freedoms of Indigenous people. On American Independence Day, 4th July 2023, the company declared that the country should 'return' its land to the native tribes from whom it was originally stolen. This declaration sparked immediate outrage on social media, with many disgusted customers using the #boycottbenandjerrys hashtag. In response, Jerry Greenfield, one of the co-founders, resigned from the company, citing Unilever's halting of Ben & Jerry's social activism as the reason for his departure. Greenfield expressed his resignation in an open letter, stating he could no longer remain an employee of a firm that had been 'silenced' by Unilever. His resignation comes as Ben & Jerry's calls for its own spin-off ahead of a planned listing of Magnum Ice Cream. The new CEO of The Magnum Ice Cream Company, Jochanan Senf, has been firm in his stance, rebuffing Cohen's demands to 'free Ben & Jerry's' to protect its social values. Unilever, on the other hand, expects to reduce its 20% stake in Ben & Jerry's over time. Last week, Cohen disrupted a Senate hearing, demanding to 'free Ben & Jerry's', a move that resulted in his forcible removal by the U.S. Capitol Police. The future of Ben & Jerry's remains uncertain, with the company's activism and business practices at the heart of the ongoing dispute.
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