Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigns after 47 years allegedly due to feud with Unilever over Gaza conflict

Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has resigned after 47 years with the company, saying he could no longer stay in a firm that has been “silenced” by its parent company, Unilever, amid disputes over the Gaza conflict. In an open letter shared by his partner Ben Cohen on social media, Greenfield said the ice cream company he helped build in 1978 has lost its independence - a condition he believed was protected under the original merger agreement with Unilever.

Greenfield expressed that what he considered a shared mission of speaking up for peace, justice, and human rights is now under threat. He described this decision as one of the hardest he has made.

This separation has come after years of mounting tension. The row escalated in 2021 when Ben & Jerry’s announced it would stop selling its products in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, citing inconsistency with its values. That move was followed by lawsuits and legal challenges as the company and its social mission clashed with Unilever’s corporate control. In his letter, Greenfield said:

“That independence existed in no small part because of the unique merger agreement Ben and I negotiated with Unilever.” He added that he could no longer, “in good conscience,” remain with a company that he believed had been brought to silence. 

Through its Magnum Ice Cream unit, Unilever has disagreed with Greenfield’s characterisations, saying it has sought dialogue and contests claims that it has fully suppressed Ben & Jerry’s activism. 

Greenfield departs Ben & Jerry’s amid claims Unilever stifled brand’s social mission during Gaza conflict

After 47 years at Ben & Jerry’s, Jerry Greenfield’s resignation appears rooted in a belief that Unilever has breached the terms of their long-standing agreement by limiting the company’s ability to take public stands, especially regarding the Gaza conflict. Under the merger deal made in 2000, Greenfield and co-founder Ben Cohen secured protections meant to preserve the brand’s autonomy over its social mission. According to Greenfield, autonomy has eroded. 

The Gaza conflict has become a flashpoint. The company’s social mission board has described Israel’s war on Gaza as “genocide,” a rare instance of a large U.S. company using such language. Greenfield protested that his activist voice and the company’s role in calling for peace, justice, and human rights are now constrained under Unilever’s oversight. He said the company has been “silenced” despite commitments to advocacy that were core to its identity under Ben & Jerry’s original values. 

Through Magnum Ice Cream Company (its ice cream division), Unilever rejected many of Greenfield’s claims. A spokesperson said Unilever disagrees with Greenfield’s view and has tried to engage both founders in discussion over how to maintain a values-based position. Meanwhile, Greenfield’s exit comes as Ben & Jerry’s is pushing for a spin-off or to be freed from Unilever’s control. The founders reportedly offered to buy back the brand for USD 1.5-2.5 billion, but Unilever declined.