Interview: Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield — Transcript

Jerry Greenfield discusses benefit corporations, corporate responsibility, and Ben & Jerry's progressive activism under Unilever ownership.

Key Takeaways

Benefit corporations enable businesses to balance profit with social good.
Ben & Jerry's maintains progressive activism despite being owned by a large corporation.
Unilever supports sustainability and allows Ben & Jerry's public advocacy on social issues.
The traditional view of business as only profit-driven is too narrow.
Corporate power can be challenged from within large multinational companies.

Summary

Jerry Greenfield supports benefit corporations as a way for businesses to prioritize community interests beyond shareholder profits.
He looks forward to benefit corporations being legal in all 50 US states.
Greenfield critiques the narrow definition of business value as solely financial returns.
He acknowledges the challenge of being anti-corporate while owned by a multinational like Unilever.
Unilever has allowed Ben & Jerry's to publicly support progressive causes like Occupy Wall Street and marriage equality.
Unilever has an aggressive sustainability plan to double sales without increasing environmental footprint.
Ben & Jerry's uses its platform to advocate for social issues such as reducing nuclear weapons expenditures.
Greenfield expresses surprise and appreciation for the freedom Ben & Jerry's has under Unilever ownership.
He highlights the growing social and economic inequality protested by movements like Occupy Wall Street.
The interview emphasizes the evolving role of business in addressing social and environmental challenges.

Chapters

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

I love the idea because, first of all, it allows businesses to choose to have benefit as part of their purpose, not just maximizing financial returns for shareholders, which is pretty narrow and doesn't take into account the interests of the larger community.

Speaker A

said I'm a big supporter of benefit corporations I look forward to the time when they're legal in all 50 states in this country I think the idea that businesses exist simply to make money for the shareholders is just a much too

Speaker A

So, I think, as I said, I'm a big supporter of benefit corporations. I look forward to the time when they're legal in all 50 states in this country.

Speaker A

billion dollar company and you know it's as I said it's it's hard to be fighting corporate power when you really are part of it you know on the other hand I've been surprised by what Unilever has allowed Ben & Jerry's to talk about

Speaker A

I think the idea that businesses exist simply to make money for the shareholders is just a much too narrow definition of what value is. Money is not value. Value is not money.

Speaker A

favor of not the kind of things that you would anticipate that a that a large company will allow unilever has a pretty aggressive plan in terms of sustainability their their plan is to double their sales while not increasing their environmental footprint

Speaker A

Among the challenges are being, I would say, anti-corporate while being owned by a multinational corporation. Unilever is, I can't remember, maybe a 40 or 50 billion dollar company, and, you know, it's, as I said, it's hard to be fighting corporate power when you really are part of it.

Speaker A

company has come out publicly in support of Occupy Wall Street I think Occupy Wall Street represents people's protesting of social and economic inequality in this country the the growing gap between rich and poor corporations and big business that

Speaker A

You know, on the other hand, I've been surprised by what Unilever has allowed Ben & Jerry's to talk about publicly. Certainly, Ben & Jerry's supporting Occupy Wall Street.

Speaker A

supporting occupy wall street and the Occupy movement I'm not expecting big business to support it but I think there are a lot of progressive businesses and small businesses that believe in it and I think it's helpful to have the the

Speaker A

Ben & Jerry's talking about reducing expenditures on nuclear weapons, all sorts of things that I wouldn't have expected. Talking about marriage equality, which Ben & Jerry's has come out in favor of.

Topics:Jerry GreenfieldBen & Jerry'sbenefit corporationscorporate social responsibilityUnileversustainabilityOccupy Wall Streetprogressive businessmarriage equalitysocial activism

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Jerry Greenfield's view on benefit corporations?

Jerry Greenfield strongly supports benefit corporations because they allow businesses to prioritize community benefits alongside financial returns, offering a broader definition of value.

How does Ben & Jerry's operate under Unilever ownership?

Despite being owned by Unilever, a large multinational, Ben & Jerry's retains the freedom to publicly support progressive causes such as Occupy Wall Street, marriage equality, and sustainability initiatives.

What social issues does Ben & Jerry's publicly support?

Ben & Jerry's has publicly supported social and economic equality protests like Occupy Wall Street, marriage equality, and reducing expenditures on nuclear weapons, reflecting its progressive activism.

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