Ben & Jerry’s founder quits, says brand owner Unilever ‘silenced’ activism
When Unilever bought the brand in 2000, Ben & Jerry’s negotiated a detailed merger agreement to protect its right to speak out
“I can no longer, in good conscience, and after 47 years, remain an employee of Ben & Jerry’s,” Greenfield said in a letter posted on the website for the Free Ben & Jerry’s campaign. “Ben & Jerry’s has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power.”
The move comes at an awkward time for Unilever, the consumer goods giant, which has been courting investors as it prepares to list its ice cream unit as a stand-alone firm in mid-November. The Financial Times first reported Greenfield’s letter and plans.
Ben & Jerry’s, famous for popular flavours including Chunky Monkey and Cherry Garcia, has long been outspoken on social and political issues. When Unilever bought the brand in 2000, Ben & Jerry’s negotiated a detailed merger agreement to protect its right to speak out, which included the establishment of an independent board to oversee its social mission.
In recent years, the relationship between Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s independent board has soured, and the board is currently taking Unilever to court in the US over what it says are attempts to clamp down on its freedom.