Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield quits over social activism row

Ben & Jerry’s founding partner, Jerry Greenfield, left the ice cream manufacturer in the firm almost half a century later and deepened a dispute with the parent company Unilever.

In a letter shared by Cohen, the founding partner, Cohen, Mr. Greenfield said that the cherry Garcia manufacturer lost independence after stopping Unilever’s social activism.

The output points to the last episode that started in 2021, when Ben & Jerry’s will stop selling ice cream in the occupied West Bank and Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem.

The spokesman of Magnum Ice Cream Company, who returned from Unilever, said he was grateful to Mr. Greenfield, but he did not agree with his stance.

Ben & Jerry’s has been known to have a public attitude on social issues since it was founded in 1978 and often support campaigns on issues such as LGBTQ+ Rights and Climate Change.

In his letter, Mr. Greenfield said he was “one of the most difficult and painful decisions he has ever made,” but he could no longer be “good conscience” for a job “silenced” by Unilever.

This is despite an agreement that maintains the social mission of the brand when combined with consumer goods giant 25 years ago.

Magnum ice cream company spokesman, before the decision to leave Mr. Greenfield, the company was in dialogue with two founders.

“We do not agree with the perspective, and as both founding partners, we tried to participate in a constructive conversation on how Ben & Jerry would strengthen the strong values ​​in the world.” He said.

Commenting on the announcement of Mr. Greenfield, Aubrey Investments Investments Anna Macdonald said I and Jerry accepted Me and Jerry that they had “established a brand about disrespect, activism and advocacy” and when Unilever bought his job in 2000, he agreed to “continue these tasks”.

In recent years, however, Unilever said that he might have tried to restrain the company’s activism, especially in relation to Israel and Gaza.

Me and Jerry in 2021 Stop selling your ice cream In the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Earlier this year, the company The defendant Unilever US President Donald demanded that he stops criticizing Trump to the public.

Macdonald said Mr. Greenfield continued because he did not want to be related to what is now “.

In March of this year, Ben & Jerry’s said that General Manager David Stever was removed by Unilever.

The allegation, Ben & Jerry’s at the US court, said Unilever’s “social duty” trying to silence the merger agreement.

Unilever spokesman, “an employee career speech is disappointed to the public,” he said.

In May, Mr. Cohen was arrested in the US Senate for military aid to Israel and humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

Protestors, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr testified while testifying the hearing.

The US Capitol police told BBC News that Mr. Cohen was accused of misleading and six demonstrators were arrested and a series of more serious charges.