Ben & Jerry's, the Vermont-based ice cream brand known for its commitment to social justice and progressive values, has found itself at odds with its parent company Unilever. The 25-year partnership between the two companies began in 2000, but over time, tensions have escalated into an all-out battle.
At the time of the merger, Ben & Jerry's was promised a degree of independence, including control over its social activism and employee protections. However, it appears that these promises were never fully honored by Unilever. The company backed out of creating a $5 million fund to support minority-owned businesses, as originally agreed upon.
Ben Cohen, co-founder of the brand, expressed his concerns about the partnership from the outset. "Ben & Jerry's will become just another brand like any other soulless, heartless, spiritless brand out there," he warned. The promises made by Unilever were also being broken, with the company backing out of creating the fund and not following through on its commitment to continue encouraging Ben & Jerry's social agenda.
Tensions between the two companies came to a head in 2021, when Ben & Jerry's announced that it would no longer sell its ice cream in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. This move was seen as a bold statement of the brand's values and stance on social justice. However, Unilever claimed that this decision was "inconsistent with our values," sparking a heated dispute between the two parties.
Ben & Jerry's has since sued Unilever for breaching its merger agreement and allowing for the marketing and sales of its ice cream in Israel. The brand claims that Unilever has silenced its efforts to speak out on social justice issues, including its support for Palestine. In an email statement, Unilever rejected these claims and vowed to defend its case.
The dispute has continued, with Ben & Jerry's accusing Unilever of unlawfully ousting its CEO David Stever over his support of the brand's political activism. The company is now being spun off from Unilever into a new entity called Magnum Ice Cream Company.
Ben & Jerry's remains committed to its values and mission, even if it means going independent. "An independent Ben & Jerry's will allow it to go back to its roots as a company driven by values, authenticity, and a belief that business has to be about more than just profitability," the brand stated on its website.
As the battle between Ben & Jerry's and Unilever continues, the fate of the beloved ice cream brand hangs in the balance. Will it find a way to remain true to its values and mission, or will it succumb to the pressure of its parent company? Only time will tell.
At the time of the merger, Ben & Jerry's was promised a degree of independence, including control over its social activism and employee protections. However, it appears that these promises were never fully honored by Unilever. The company backed out of creating a $5 million fund to support minority-owned businesses, as originally agreed upon.
Ben Cohen, co-founder of the brand, expressed his concerns about the partnership from the outset. "Ben & Jerry's will become just another brand like any other soulless, heartless, spiritless brand out there," he warned. The promises made by Unilever were also being broken, with the company backing out of creating the fund and not following through on its commitment to continue encouraging Ben & Jerry's social agenda.
Tensions between the two companies came to a head in 2021, when Ben & Jerry's announced that it would no longer sell its ice cream in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. This move was seen as a bold statement of the brand's values and stance on social justice. However, Unilever claimed that this decision was "inconsistent with our values," sparking a heated dispute between the two parties.
Ben & Jerry's has since sued Unilever for breaching its merger agreement and allowing for the marketing and sales of its ice cream in Israel. The brand claims that Unilever has silenced its efforts to speak out on social justice issues, including its support for Palestine. In an email statement, Unilever rejected these claims and vowed to defend its case.
The dispute has continued, with Ben & Jerry's accusing Unilever of unlawfully ousting its CEO David Stever over his support of the brand's political activism. The company is now being spun off from Unilever into a new entity called Magnum Ice Cream Company.
Ben & Jerry's remains committed to its values and mission, even if it means going independent. "An independent Ben & Jerry's will allow it to go back to its roots as a company driven by values, authenticity, and a belief that business has to be about more than just profitability," the brand stated on its website.
As the battle between Ben & Jerry's and Unilever continues, the fate of the beloved ice cream brand hangs in the balance. Will it find a way to remain true to its values and mission, or will it succumb to the pressure of its parent company? Only time will tell.
my fave ice cream brand ever deserves way more respect than this 
its not cool when companies back out on promises or try to silence each other's voices on important issues 
im rooting for ben & jerry's all the way and i hope they can make it work as their own independent company 
. The fact that Unilever allegedly reneged on their promises about supporting minority-owned businesses and social justice initiatives is just messed up 
. It's like they took all the good vibes from the Ben & Jerry's brand and flushed them down the toilet 
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. It's crazy to think that a company as iconic as Ben & Jerry's would be treated like this by its own parent company 
. If Unilever was so committed to supporting Ben & Jerry's values, why did they back out on those promises? It's just another example of how the pursuit of profit can sometimes take precedence over people and the planet 
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all that talk about social justice and activism and then they're like "nah, we gonna make you sell ice cream in israel" 
what's the point of even havin a partnership if u ain't gonna respect each other's vibes? 
ben cohen's warning all those years ago seems kinda prophetic now 
anyway, i'm hella proud of ben & jerry's 4 standin up 4 what they believe in 
... Ben & Jerry's was always known for speaking out on social issues, but now they're being forced to fight for their rights against Unilever 
. I mean, who needs that kind of drama in the ice cream world? 
... it feels like they're not taking Ben & Jerry's values seriously 
. I think Ben & Jerry's made a bold move by standing up for what they believe in 
, but one thing is for sure - Ben & Jerry's will always stand up for what they believe in 
Unilever's actions speak volumes about their priorities - is it profit over people?
. i mean, they did take a stance on israel/palestine and got roasted for it by unilever. but at the same time, can you blame them? they're trying to live up to their values here. its like they said themselves, business should be about more than just making a profit 
that's like, totally the only way they'll be able to stay true to themselves. And honestly, who needs Unilever's money anyway? Ben & Jerry's is a brand with heart and soul, not some soulless corporate giant 
. I mean, who doesn't want their ice cream brand to be all about spreading love and positivity, right? It's like, Unilever just wants to suck the soul out of everything they touch, you know? They're all about making a quick buck without caring about what really matters.
. It's time for them to step up their game and start supporting Ben & Jerry's values instead of trying to silence them.
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. Like, they've been a pioneer for social justice and progressive values since day one, and it's crazy that their parent company isn't respecting that 
The guy has been warning Unilever that they'd just turn into another soulless brand, and now look what's happening 
. They can't control what happens with Israel or Palestine, but they can still use their platform to raise awareness about the issues that matter 
. Fingers crossed Ben & Jerry's comes out on top and stays true to themselves 
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. I'm rooting for them to come out stronger on the other side, with a renewed focus on being true to themselves 
. The $5 million fund was a big deal, and it's disappointing to hear that it got scrapped 
.