The iconic founders of Ben & Jerry's have launched a blistering attack on their parent company Unilever, declaring the consumer goods giant's 'social conscience is dead' in a dramatic public intervention.
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, who built their ice cream empire on principles of social justice and environmental responsibility, have broken their silence to warn customers, staff, and stockists that Unilever has systematically dismantled the ethical framework that made the brand legendary.
The Core of the Controversy
In an extraordinary move, the founders allege that Unilever has created an 'illusion' of maintaining Ben & Jerry's founding values while actively undermining them behind the scenes. The company's independent board, established to protect the brand's social mission, has been effectively neutered according to the founders.
'The brand's fans and supporters should know that Ben & Jerry's social mission is being threatened by Unilever's actions,' the founders stated in their sharply worded declaration.
A Pattern of Corporate Betrayal
The controversy stems from Unilever's decision to sell its Israeli business operation to a local licensee, a move the founders claim violated longstanding brand values and demonstrated where Unilever's true priorities lie.
This isn't an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern where profit has trumped principle at every turn. The founders' statement suggests this is merely the most visible symptom of a deeper corporate malaise within Unilever's leadership.
What This Means for Consumers
For millions of loyal customers who chose Ben & Jerry's specifically for its ethical stance, this revelation raises serious questions:
- Can they still trust the brand's social commitments?
- Are their purchases still supporting progressive causes?
- Has the quality and ethos they valued been compromised?
The founders' warning serves as a stark reminder that corporate acquisitions often come with hidden costs to the very values that made brands successful in the first place.
The Future of Ethical Business
This confrontation highlights the ongoing tension between activist founders and corporate parents. It raises critical questions about whether socially conscious businesses can maintain their values after acquisition by major conglomerates.
As Cohen and Greenfield put it: 'Sheer hypocrisy' - a damning indictment from the men who made ethical business practices mainstream.
