Ben without Jerry as ice cream co-founder exits after feud with Unilever over Gaza

In an open letter shared by his partner Ben Cohen on social media platform X, Greenfield said that the Vermont-based company - well-known for its social activism - had in recent years been "silenced" by Unilever, which is currently spinning off its Magnum ice cream unit that includes the Ben & Jerry's brand.

"It's with a broken heart that I've decided I can no longer, in good conscience, and after 47 years, remain an employee of Ben & Jerry's," wrote Greenfield, 74, who had taken on a brand ambassador role at the firm.

"Standing up for values like justice, equity, and shared humanity has never been more important, yet Ben & Jerry's has been silenced and sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power."

DISPUTE OVER GAZA, SOCIAL VALUES

A spokesperson for the Magnum Ice Cream Company, Unilever's ice cream unit, said that it "disagrees with Greenfield's perspective and has sought to engage both co-founders in a constructive conversation on how to strengthen Ben & Jerry's powerful values-based position in the world."

Unilever shares were unmoved on Wednesday. Unilever did not respond to a request for comment.

Ben & Jerry's - founded by Cohen and Greenfield in a renovated gas station in 1978 - was acquired by Unilever in 2000 for $326 million in a deal that included a unique clause allowing the brand to maintain its own independent board of directors with authority over its social mission, though not over operations.

However, Unilever and Ben & Jerry's have clashed since 2021, when the Chubby Hubby ice cream maker said it would stop sales in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The brand has since sued its parent over alleged efforts to silence it and described the Gaza conflict as "genocide", a rare stance for a major U.S. company.

Magnum said Greenfield had stepped down as a brand ambassador and that he was not a party to the lawsuit.

Greenfield's departure comes as the Ben & Jerry's founders have been calling for its own spin-off ahead of a planned listing of Magnum Ice Cream in November.

Last week Cohen held a protest in London as the new Magnum Ice Cream Company presented its growth plans, demanding Unilever "free Ben & Jerry's" to protect its social values. That was rebuffed by new Magnum CEO Peter ter Kulve. Cohen notably did not announce he was also stepping down on Wednesday.

Greenfield said he would keep up his social fight from outside the company as he couldn't do so from inside.