Ben & Jerry's co-founder resigns citing loss of independence under Unilever

In an open letter addressing the Ben & Jerry community that was shared by Cohen on social media platform X, Greenfield said that the Vermont-based company has lost its independence since UK parent Unilever curtailed its social activism. Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s have clashed since 2021, when the Chubby Hubby maker said it would stop sales in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Greenfield said he could no longer "in good conscience" continue working for a company that had been "silenced" by Unilever, despite a merger agreement meant to safeguard the brand's social mission.