Ben & Jerry's Founding Partner Alleges Unilever Halted Pro-Palestinian Ice Cream Product
One of the co-founders of the famous ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's has claimed that corporate owner the multinational conglomerate prevented the launch for a new pro-Palestinian frozen dessert product.
The entrepreneur, who co-founded the company with Jerry Greenfield, disclosed how he plans to personally create the controversial flavor within a personal series showcasing causes Ben & Jerry's has been prevented from speaking out about.
Ongoing Dispute Involving Creators and Parent Company
This latest announcement escalates the continuing conflict among the internationally recognized dessert company and its corporate parent, the British consumer goods giant that acquired Ben & Jerry's for over two decades.
The co-founders have claimed that the parent company and its ice cream arm the Magnum brand improperly prevented their company from "honouring its social mission".
Watermelon Flavor as an Emblem of Support
The entrepreneur announced via an Instagram video how he is creating a new watermelon-based sorbet, asking for public suggestions regarding naming options and potential ingredients.
“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder stated in his kitchen. “I'm making a watermelon-based ice cream that advocates for permanent peace for Palestinians while demanding repairing the damage that was done there.”
The watermelon has become an emblem of support for the Palestinian people due to its colors, that match the colors in the Palestinian flag – the distinctive four-color pattern.
Historical Social Engagement plus Recent Changes
Several years ago, Ben & Jerry's ceased sales of their merchandise in territories occupied by Israel, resulting in the parent company selling their Israel business over to a local licensee, thus allowing ongoing distribution within the occupied West Bank.
This upcoming product line will be created through Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist dessert company that was first created in 2016 for endorsing ex- US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Return".
Management Changes plus Upcoming Plans
The founder revealed how he plans to create other frozen dessert varieties focusing on concerns that the company was prevented from speaking about openly by Unilever.
This development follows partner Jerry Greenfield stepped down from Ben & Jerry's in September, after decades of involvement, mentioning worries that the company's autonomy was compromised after Unilever's decision to restrict its social activism.
At that time, Ben Cohen commented how “My partner has strong compassion and the ongoing dispute with Unilever was breaking it."
“My conscience leads me to keep working inside the company to advocate for corporate autonomy so that it can achieve its ethical purpose, the values which it was founded on while upholding for decades," he told media outlets.
- Parent company limitations regarding political advocacy
- Personal flavor creation from original creators
- The fruit-based product as social statement
- Ongoing disagreements among corporate ownership versus social mission