Ben & Jerry’s is owned by Unilever, which is currently spinning out its ice cream division into a standalone business known as The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC). This is ahead of an initial public offering (IPO) expected to take place later this year.
In the letter, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield said that the ownership of Unilever has led to an erosion of the “social values on which [Ben & Jerry’s] was founded”.
They also noted that while TMICC is set to become an independent entity, the brand will likely maintain Unilever’s legacy given that the FMCG giant is expected to retain a material stake.
In November 2024, Ben & Jerry’s filed a lawsuit against its parent company accusing Unilever of silencing its attempts to advocate for the rights of Palestinian refugees as well as its calls for a permanent and immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Israel has been widely accused of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza including by numerous human rights organisations and scholars, as well as by the Ben & Jerry’s board. The International Criminal Court has also issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, and Yoav Gallant, the former Israeli minister of defence, for war crimes and crimes against humanity, while a UN body has declared that a man-made famine is taking place in Gaza.
Moving forward, Cohen and Greenfield plan to mobilise a group of stakeholders and supporters to strongly encourage The Magnum Ice Cream Company to rethink the inclusion of Ben & Jerry’s in its future plans.
Cohen also picketed outside TMICC’s Capital Markets Day in London on 9 September.
“Ben & Jerry’s was founded on a simple but radical premise: that our business could thrive and make outstanding products whilst standing up for progressive values,” Cohen commented.
“We fought to ensure our social justice mission was protected by Unilever when the company was acquired, but over the past several years, this has been eroded, and the company’s voice has been muted. We won’t be silent anymore.
“Authenticity has always been at the very heart of what we do, and stripping this away risks destroying the very value of Ben & Jerry’s. We urge the board and potential investors to rethink the inclusion of Ben & Jerry’s in Magnum’s future make-up and establish a Free Ben & Jerry’s.”
In response, a spokesperson for TMICC said: “Ben & Jerry’s is a proud part of The Magnum Ice Cream Company and is not for sale. We remain committed to Ben & Jerry’s unique three-part mission – product, economic and social – and look forward to building on its success as an iconic, much-loved business.”
