Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has resigned after nearly half a century, claiming its parent company Unilever has stripped the ice-cream brand of its independence and silenced its activism.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s described his decision to leave as “one of the hardest and most painful” choices of his life. He said that when Unilever acquired the Vermont-based business in 2000, the deal guaranteed that Ben & Jerry’s would retain the freedom to pursue its social mission, a promise he now believes has been broken.

“For more than twenty years under their 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,” Greenfield wrote. “It’s profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that that independence, the very basics of our sale to Unilever, is gone.”

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He went on to argue that the company had been sidelined at a moment when speaking out mattered most. “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 have something to lose.”

Founded by Greenfield and Ben Cohen in Burlington, Vermont, in 1978, Ben & Jerry’s has long been known for its distinctive flavours such as Cherry Garcia and Chunky Monkey, as well as for its vocal campaigning on LGBTQ+ rights, climate change, racial justice, refugee rights, fair trade, and, more recently, Palestine.

Tensions between the co-founders and Unilever have been simmering for years. In 2024, the company’s independent social mission board launched legal action against the parent company, accusing it of blocking statements in support of Palestine. Last week, Greenfield and Cohen published an open letter urging that Ben & Jerry’s be “released” from Unilever’s control.

Cohen, who has not stepped down, publicly supported his co-founder by sharing the resignation letter online, declaring Greenfield’s “legacy deserves to be true to our values, not silenced by @MagnumGlobal”, and adding the hashtag #FreeBenAndJerrys.

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