Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield is leaving the ice cream model after 47 years, saying that the independence it as soon as needed to converse up on social points has been stifled by dad or mum firm Unilever.
In a letter that co-founder Ben Cohen posted on social media platform X on Greenfield’s behalf, Greenfield stated that he felt the independence the model needed to converse on social points and occasions was misplaced to Unilever.
“For more than 20 years under their ownership, Ben & Jerry’s stood up and spoke out in support of peace, justice and human rights, not as abstract concepts, but in relation to real events happening in our world,” he wrote. “That independence existed in no small part because of the unique merger agreement Ben and I negotiated with Unilever, one that enshrined our social mission and values in the company’s governance structure in perpetuity. It’s profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that that independence, the very basis of our sale to Unilever, is gone.”
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