#Freebenandjerrys

Ben & Jerry’s has long been more than just an ice cream company. Founded in 1978 by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in Burlington, Vermont, the company built its identity on a strong mission of social justice, community, and activism. Over the decades, it has become a case study in how brands can align with causes and how that alignment sometimes leads to tension, especially under corporate ownership.

In 2025, a major episode in this story unfolded: Jerry Greenfield, after 47 years, announced he was stepping away from the company, citing a breakdown in the company’s ability to speak freely on social issues. This post will explore the background, the core issues, what led to Jerry’s departure, and what it tells us about the challenges of activism, free speech, and corporate governance.

Origins of Ben & Jerry’s Activism

From the start, Ben & Jerry’s adopted progressive stances on environmentalism, racial justice, civil rights, and more. Their business model always included social responsibility (donating part of profits, speaking out on issues, etc).

When Ben & Jerry’s agreed to be acquired by Unilever for about $326 million, the founders negotiated protections to try to preserve the social mission. Among these was an independent board charged with guarding the brand’s social purpose.

Key Values

• Occupied Palestinian Territories / Israel Policy
  In 2021, Ben & Jerry’s announced it would stop selling ice cream in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. This led to legal disputes and disagreements over how much authority the independent board had to direct political or policy positions versus what Unilever, as parent company, allowed.
• Leadership and Governance Disputes
  In 2025, the removal of Ben & Jerry’s CEO, David Stever, by Unilever became a point of contention. The company filed a lawsuit, alleging the removal was in retaliation for political or social activism.
• Spin-Offs & Reorganizations
  Unilever has been planning to spin off its ice cream business (including Ben & Jerry’s) into a new entity, the Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC), by end of 2025.

Along with that, disagreements have arisen over how to preserve the brand’s activist voice during and after that transition. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield have both pushed for preserving independence and ensuring that core values are not compromised.

In mid-September 2025, Jerry Greenfield formally announced that he was resigning from Ben & Jerry’s. Greenfield said he could no longer, “in good conscience,” remain an employee of the company because he believed its social mission had been “stifled,” and that the independence once guaranteed to speak on issues like justice, human rights, civil rights, etc., had effectively been lost.

Jerry Greenfield’s departure is a milestone in the story of Ben & Jerry’s: it underscores both the potential of brands to be agents of social change and the difficulties in sustaining that activism under corporate ownership, especially over decades, across changing landscapes of global politics and public expectation.

For students of business, activism, law, or ethics, it’s a reminder that clauses and boards matter, that values can be fragile, and that speaking out often comes with trade-offs. Whether Ben & Jerry’s can reclaim or preserve the level of independence its founders believe in remains to be seen, but the public, media, and the company’s loyal customer base will be watching.