Ben & Jerry’s Without Jerry: Co-Founder Leaves Company Amid Clash With Unilever

The iconic ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s faces a turning point: Co-founder Jerry Greenfield is stepping down after more than 45 years. The move follows a dispute with parent company Unilever over the brand’s political positioning, long considered central to its identity.

Stepping down after more than four decades

In a statement on Instagram, Greenfield announced that he would leave his role at Ben & Jerry’s. He accused Unilever of having “silenced” the brand. When Unilever acquired the company in 2000, Greenfield and fellow co-founder Ben Cohen secured the right for Ben & Jerry’s to continue speaking out on issues such as peace, justice, and human rights. Greenfield argues that this right is no longer being upheld.

Dispute over political stance

For decades, Ben & Jerry’s has been known for taking outspoken positions on social and political issues – from climate action to migration and LGBTQ+ rights. Greenfield criticized Unilever for increasingly fearing to “upset those in power.” One of the most divisive points was the company’s presence in Israeli settlements: In 2021, Greenfield and Cohen pushed to stop sales there, but Unilever rejected the move.

Unilever denies accusations

Unilever has denied the allegations, saying it has always sought dialogue with the founders. Still, relations are widely seen as strained. Cohen echoed Greenfield’s concerns publicly, even calling on social media to “free Ben & Jerry’s from Unilever.” He has not said whether he plans to step down himself.

What’s next for Unilever’s ice cream business

Unilever is currently pursuing its own strategy for its frozen division, aiming to spin off brands such as Magnum, Langnese, and Ben & Jerry’s into a standalone subsidiary. A buyback by the founders, as Greenfield and Cohen had once hoped, is not on the table. The brand will remain within the conglomerate – but it is losing one of its most defining figures.