Ben & Jerry's Founder Quits After 47 Years. Here's Why

As a company, Ben & Jerry's has always been open about championing social causes. In similar transparent fashion, Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield clearly elucidated his shocking decision to resign from the company he helped found nearly five decades ago with Ben Cohen. Cohen shared a letter written by Greenfield on X, in which Greenfield regretfully informed the public of his resignation and cited parent company Unilever as the primary reason why. According to the letter, "Ben & Jerry's has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power." 

Core values are a substantial part of the brand, as illustrated by Greenfield, who further stated in the letter, "Ben and I believed that our values and the pursuit of justice were more important than the company itself." If you've ever wondered why Ben & Jerry's ice cream is so expensive, the use of quality ingredients and careful manufacturing processes has much to do with it. However, the brand also insists on using FairTrade Certified ingredients when making its products, which ensures equitable prices, good working conditions, and environmental protection for the small farms and suppliers where items are sourced. Closing out the letter, Greenfield said, "If I can't carry those values forward inside [Ben & Jerry's] today, then I will carry them forward outside, with all the love and conviction I can."

The great minds behind Ben & Jerry's started as childhood friends when Jerry Greenfield and Ben Cohen met in a seventh-grade gym class. They formed the ice cream company in 1978, which got its start as a small scoop shop. Eventually, their business evolved into a global sales juggernaut, but more importantly, it provided Greenfield and Cohen the ability to significantly back charities and social causes they were passionate about. When Ben & Jerry's was sold to Unilever in 2000, the pair were assured that they could continue to pursue charitable and social causes as they saw fit. 

According to Greenfield's resignation letter that appeared on X, "The independence to pursue our values" was a significant aspect of negotiations with Unilever. And while the company was free to support various causes for most of the 25 years that Unilever has occupied the ownership role, Greenfield believes "that independence, the very basis of our sale to Unilever, is gone." Greenfield didn't name a specific occurrence that influenced his decision, but Reuters reported that the brand's views on Gaza are a major factor in the dispute. Ben & Jerry's and Unilever butted heads over the company's effort to cease selling ice cream in the West Bank, which resulted in a lawsuit between the two companies, with Greenfield supporting Palestine, while Unilever insists on continuing sales in the Israeli market.