Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's Quits the Ice Cream Company

BURLINGTON, Vt. — After 47 years, Jerry Greenfield has left Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

Ben Cohen posted on social media that his company's co-founder, Greenfield, was unable to continue with the brand. The post mentioned a loss of independence to the brand's parent company, Unilever. About 25 years ago, Unilever acquired the iconic brand for $326 million, agreeing to give Ben & Jerry’s autonomy around its social mission.

Ben & Jerry’s is well-known for its outspoken social and political views. Greenfield wrote, “Standing up for the values of justice, equity and our shared humanity has never been more important, and yet Ben & Jerry’s has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power.”

Ben & Jerry’s feud with Unilever has gone on for some time. In March, the company’s CEO was removed by Unilever after being involved in social and political activism. Cohen and Greenfield maintained that this was unlawful and did not follow the rules laid down in the agreement with Unilever as part of the takeover.

Greenfield’s departure arrives as the consumer product giant is spinning off its ice cream business into a standalone company called The Magnum Ice Cream Co. Greenfield and Cohen have pushed for the company to be independently owned, as they don’t believe its brand should be part of a corporation that doesn’t support its mission.

Many experts stress that preserving complete independence from a corporate owner is never promised. University of Virginia marketing professor Kimberly Whitler said, “If a brand wants complete and total autonomy, then it is best to remain independent.”

Many believed this clash was inevitable because Ben & Jerry’s has an identity of speaking out on social issues, while Unilever is too big a company to take a polarizing stance on any issue. The way brands discuss politics and social issues is significantly different from when the deal was made 25 years ago.

A spokesperson for Unilever and its Magnum Ice Cream Co. said 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."

Prithvi Sudhakar is a fourth-year majoring in cybersecurity. To contact him, email pzs5683@psu.edu.