Speaker A
The co-founder of an iconic ice cream brand stepping out today. You probably heard of this Ben and Jerry's split.
Ben Greenfield leaves Ben & Jerry's over political conflicts with Unilever; co-founder Ben Cohen discusses the split and company values.
Key Takeaways
- Jerry Greenfield is leaving Ben & Jerry's due to political and value-based conflicts with Unilever.
- Ben Cohen remains committed to fighting for the company's social justice mission.
- The original agreement allowing Ben & Jerry's independence on social issues is perceived as broken.
- Tensions with Unilever and Magnum have been ongoing and have affected the founders personally.
- Both founders want the company to stay true to its humanistic values while navigating corporate pressures.
Summary
- Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, is leaving the company due to political differences with parent company Unilever.
- The split stems from conflicts over the company's social justice stance and Unilever's handling of Ben & Jerry's values.
- A unique agreement from 2000 allowed Ben & Jerry's to stand up for peace, justice, and human rights, which Greenfield feels is now undermined.
- Ben Cohen, the other co-founder, remains with the company and gave his first TV interview discussing the situation.
- Greenfield's departure is partly due to the toll the conflict has taken on his personal health and emotional well-being.
- Ben & Jerry's has been vocal on social issues like Black Lives Matter and Palestinian human rights for years.
- The parent company Unilever announced plans to spin off its ice cream division, now managed by Magnum, which has led to further tensions.
- Magnum disputes Greenfield's claims and says they engage in constructive conversations to uphold the brand's values.
- Both co-founders want Ben & Jerry's to maintain its mission and values despite corporate challenges.
- The founders believe consumer pressure can influence Magnum and Unilever to respect the original acquisition agreement.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction to Ben & Jerry's split
- 00:28Jerry Greenfield announces departure
- 00:51Background on 2000 agreement with Unilever
- 01:20Ben Cohen's first TV interview
- 02:26Reasons behind Jerry's exit
- 03:39Impact on Jerry's health and values conflict
- 06:30Ben Cohen on continuing the fight
- 07:21Consumer pressure and future outlook
- 08:43Summary of tensions and next steps
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
JERRY GREENFIELD IS LEAVING. HE SAYS HE'S OUT. HE'S DONE WITH THE COMPANY THAT HE FOUNDED, CO FOUNDED NEARLY 50 YEARS AGO BECAUSE OF POLITICAL DIFFERENCES WITH THEIR PARENT COMPANY, UNILEVER. NOW, HIS CO-FOUNDER BEN OF BEN AND JERRY'S, BEN COHEN, POSTED A
Speaker A
Jerry Greenfield is leaving. He says he's out. He's done with the company that he founded, co-founded nearly 50 years ago because of political differences with their parent company, Unilever. Now, his co-founder Ben of Ben and Jerry's, Ben Cohen, posted a
Speaker A
BASIS OF THAT DEAL IS GONE AT A TIME WHEN THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION IS, AND I'M QUOTING HERE, ATTACKING CIVIL RIGHTS. REMEMBER, POLITICS IS AS MUCH A PART OF BEN AND JERRY'S AS JERRY GARCIA AND CHUNKY MONKEY, RIGHT? YOU KNOW
Speaker A
statement from Jerry on X. And in it, Greenfield says for more than 20 years, the company has stood up for peace, justice, and human rights thanks to a unique agreement that the two negotiated with Unilever back in 2000. Now, he says, the
Speaker A
AND JERRY'S. AND WHAT I UNDERSTAND, BEN, IS YOUR FIRST TV INTERVIEW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.
Speaker A
basis of that deal is gone at a time when the current administration is, and I'm quoting here, attacking civil rights. Remember, politics is as much a part of Ben and Jerry's as Jerry Garcia and Chunky Monkey, right? You know
Speaker A
JERRY IS LEAVING. THIS IS SOMEBODY YOU'VE BEEN IN LOCKSTEP WITH, AT LEAST PUBLICLY, FOR LITERALLY DECADES.
Speaker A
this, they've been really vocal about social issues for years and years and years, from Black Lives Matter to Palestinian human rights. I want to go ahead now and bring in one of the co-founders of that company, Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben
Speaker A
HEART. AND. YOU KNOW, THIS. CONFLICT WITH UNILEVER HAS BEEN TEARING HIM. APART FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW. AND, YOU KNOW. I THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT MOVE.
Speaker A
and Jerry's. And what I understand, Ben, is your first TV interview. Thank you very much for being with us today.
Speaker A
IMPORTANT TO HIM. AND WHAT'S. MOST IMPORTANT TO ME IS THE VALUES OF BEN AND JERRY'S. AND JERRY.
Speaker A
Yeah. Good to be here, Hallie. All right. So let me start with this. You are staying.
Speaker A
COULDN'T STAND IT. AND AND SO HE'S DECIDED TO RESIGN FOR ME. MY HEART. SAYS TO KEEP FIGHTING.
Speaker A
Jerry is leaving. This is somebody you've been in lockstep with, at least publicly, for literally decades.
Speaker A
ABLE TO CREATE ENOUGH CONSUMER DEMAND PRESSURE. ON MAGNUM TO TO. SEE THE LIGHT. AND. YOU KNOW, JUST.
Speaker A
Why is this happening? Why the split? Well, you know, Jerry has a really big
Speaker A
YOU KNOW, THEY'VE THEY'VE PROVEN UNILEVER AND MAGNUM THAT THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO ABIDE BY THE TERMS OF THE ACQUISITION AGREEMENT. THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO RESPECT THE AUTHORITY OF THE INDEPENDENT BOARD. AND IT'S TIME FOR US TO GO OUR SEPARATE
Speaker A
heart. And, you know, this conflict with Unilever has been tearing him
Speaker A
TODAY? WHY THIS WEEK FOR THIS BIG ANNOUNCEMENT? WELL, UNILEVER. ANNOUNCED ABOUT A YEAR AGO THAT THEY WERE PLANNING TO SPIN OFF THEIR ENTIRE ICE CREAM DIVISION. AND JERRY AND I WENT TO UNILEVER AT THAT TIME AND.
Speaker A
apart for quite some time now. And, you know, I think this is the right move
Speaker A
TO TO END ALL THIS CONFLICT, AND THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO DO THAT. AND SO NOW IT'S BEING TRANSFERRED TO MAGNUM, AND WE'RE GOING TO MAGNUM WITH THE SAME REQUEST. AND BUT THE CHANGE IS THAT WE DECIDED TO TO
Speaker A
for Jerry in terms of his personal, you know, health, and what's most
Speaker A
YOU REFERENCE MAGNUM IN A STATEMENT TO US HERE. THEY HAVE A RESPONSE. THEY SAY THAT THEY DISAGREE WITH JERRY'S PERSPECTIVE, THAT THE COMPANY ENGAGES IN WHAT THEY CALL CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATION, ON HOW TO STRENGTHEN BEN AND JERRY'S POWERFUL, VALUES BASED
Speaker A
important to him. And what's most important to me is the values of Ben and Jerry's. And Jerry
Speaker A
TRIES TO SPEAK OUT IN SUPPORT OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND THE AND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST WHEN IT TRIES TO SPEAK OUT IN FAVOR OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION. WHEN THE COMPANY TRIES TO SPEAK OUT IN SUPPORT OF OF SOMETHING AS
Speaker A
felt like the values are getting muzzled by Unilever and now Magnum and he can't, he
Speaker A
BEN, YOU REFERENCED A MOMENT AGO THAT THIS THIS HAS TAKEN A TOLL ON JERRY'S PERSONAL HEALTH, AS YOU SAID. CAN YOU CAN YOU SHARE MORE ABOUT THAT? HOW HAS THIS AFFECTED JERRY TO THE DEGREE, IF IT IS FROM A HEALTH
Speaker A
couldn't stand it. And so he's decided to resign. For me, my heart says to keep fighting.
Speaker A
WELL, I MEAN, JUST HIS EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF, OF CONFLICT THAT WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH.
Speaker A
And Jerry is very supportive of that too, to try to keep the values and to keep the heart and soul of Ben and Jerry's alive. And I believe that we'll be able to do that, that we'll be
Speaker A
RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE AT UNILEVER. AND IT'S IT'S JUST BEEN TEARING THEM APART. AND IT'S IT'S BETTER FOR HIM TO, YOU KNOW, TO TO NOT BE ENGAGED IN, IN THIS CONFLICT.
Speaker A
able to create enough consumer demand pressure on Magnum to
Speaker A
SOUL AND THE MISSION OF BEN AND JERRY'S ALIVE. THAT'S WHAT JERRY AND I BOTH WANT. AND WE'RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
Speaker A
see the light. And, you know, just
Speaker A
WITH A SLEW OF COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE, MANY OF THEM SUPPORTIVE, SOME OF THEM SAYING THINGS LIKE, HEY, GO START ANOTHER ICE CREAM COMPANY, WE'LL FOLLOW YOU THERE.
Speaker A
abide by the acquisition agreement and allow Ben and Jerry's to become owned by a group of socially aligned investors. That's what Jerry wants. That's what I want. Yeah.
Speaker A
WELL, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED BEN AND JERRY'S WHEN WE WERE 26. WE'RE NOW 74. I'D SAY IT'S A LITTLE LATE FOR US TO START ANOTHER ICE CREAM COMPANY. I THINK THAT BEN AND JERRY'S IS A IS A PHENOMENON. AND, AND AND I
Speaker A
You know, they've, they've proven Unilever and Magnum that they're not willing to abide by the terms of the acquisition agreement. They're not willing to respect the authority of the independent board. And it's time for us to go our separate
Speaker A
THAT BEN AND JERRY'S HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT YOU CAN HAVE THESE HUMANISTIC VALUES THAT YOU CAN REALLY PRACTICE PEACE AND. LOVE AND CARE FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN EXPLOITED, MARGINALIZED OPPRESSED AND STILL RUN A VERY PROFITABLE BUSINESS.
Speaker A
ways. So a couple of questions on that then, Ben, because you referenced and I think people know that tensions with your parent company aren't really all that new. They have been building now for a while. So help us understand why now, why
Topics:Ben & Jerry'sJerry GreenfieldBen CohenUnileverice cream companycorporate conflictsocial justicepolitical differencescompany valuesMagnum
