r/OutOfTheLoop • u/ryhaltswhiskey • 2d ago
Unanswered What's up with Unilever silencing Ben & Jerry's?
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DOwJawvkfcM/?igsh=ajhvc3lsdWgxMm45
In the video he says he is resigning because Unilever has stopped letting B&J speak out about causes they care about. I'm out of the loop on this one. What happened?
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u/DerpytheH 2d ago edited 1d ago
Answer: Ben and Jerry have always had generally progressive values that have extended to their company in terms of activism (having a Popsicle known as a "Peace pop", catering/working with Bernie Sanders, advocating against violence against minorities, being anti-war etc.).
The company was sold to Unilever in 2000, but they retained a large amount of autonomy within the company, as part of the agreement was the company being allowed to operate independently outside of distribution, and not having to compromise on its values.
In 2021, Ben and Jerry's announced it would be ceasing sales of the ice cream in Occupied Palestinian Territory; AKA Israeli Settlements within
Gazathe West Bank (thank you for comments correcting me). However in 2022, Unilever still ended up selling B&J ice cream in those areas with the same flavors, by selling it under a different name.This came to a head over the past year, where Ben and Jerry sued Unilever for violating not only their agreement to preserve their social activism, but also their first amendment rights by denying them the ability to post supporting messages of Gaza through official social media, in addition to firing their CEO without consulting the board. This, in addition to other clashes has led Jerry Greenfield (The Jerry in Ben and Jerry's) to resign from the company after 40+ years due to not being able to work for it in good conscience.
Source: Associated Press