Ben & Jerry’s Activism Quits Unilever Silence
- * Jerry Greenfield Resigns: Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, has resigned from his role as a brand ambassador due to a disagreement with parent company Unilever.
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* Jerry Greenfield Resigns: Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has resigned from his role as a brand ambassador due to a disagreement with parent company Unilever.
* Silencing of Activism: greenfield states that Ben & Jerry’s has been “silenced” by Unilever, hindering its ability to speak out on social and political issues, particularly regarding the conflict in Gaza. He feels the company is no longer upholding its values of justice and equity.
* Unilever’s Response: Unilever disagrees with Greenfield’s outlook and claims to have tried to engage in constructive conversation with both co-founders.
* History of Independence: A key condition of the 2000 sale to Unilever was maintaining an autonomous social mission board for Ben & Jerry’s. Greenfield believes this independence has been lost.
* Long history of Activism: Ben & Jerry’s has a long history of using its brand to promote social causes, including racial justice and LGBTQ+ rights.
* Erosion of Relationship: The relationship between Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s began to deteriorate in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s announced it would stop sales in the Israeli-occupied west Bank.
* Broader Context: Greenfield links the silencing to a broader trend of companies backing away from diversity pledges and executives avoiding commentary on political issues under the current US administration.