Ben & Jerry's Founding Partner Alleges Unilever Blocked Palestine-Themed Ice Cream Flavor

Ice cream activism illustration
Socially Conscious Entrepreneurs advocating for political issues via dessert products

One of the co-founders of the well-known frozen dessert company Ben & Jerry's has claimed that corporate owner Unilever prevented the introduction of an innovative pro-Palestinian ice cream flavor.

Ben Cohen, that established the business with his partner, announced that he will personally create the controversial flavor within an individual collection highlighting causes the company was barred from speaking out about.

Ongoing Conflict Between Creators versus Corporate Owner

The recent development deepens the ongoing tension among the internationally recognized dessert company and Unilever, the UK-based packaged goods corporation which acquired the ice cream brand since 2000.

Both founders maintain that Unilever and its ice cream arm Magnum improperly prevented their company from "honouring its social mission".

The Fruit Sorbet as a Symbol of Solidarity

Mr. Cohen announced via an Instagram video that he's developing a new watermelon-flavored frozen dessert, asking for public suggestions for naming options plus additional components.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder declared from a cooking set. “I'm creating a watermelon-flavored frozen dessert that advocates for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians while demanding repairing the damage that occurred in the region.”

This particular fruit has become an emblem of support for Palestinians because of its coloration, that match the colors in Palestine's national banner – red, green, black and white.

Historical Activism plus Recent Developments

In 2021, the ice cream company refused to sell their merchandise in territories occupied by Israel, leading to Unilever selling the Israeli operation over to an Israeli distributor, thereby permitting continued sales in the occupied West Bank.

This upcoming dessert series will be developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist ice cream brand that originally established several years back to support former US presidential candidate Senator Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Back".

Management Shifts plus Upcoming Plans

The founder revealed how he will create other frozen dessert varieties focusing on concerns that Ben & Jerry's was silenced from addressing publicly due to Unilever.

The announcement follows co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigned his position at Ben & Jerry's recently, following many years with the organization, citing worries regarding how the company's autonomy was undermined following Unilever's decision to restrict its social activism.

Previously, Ben Cohen remarked how "Jerry has a really big heart and this conflict with Unilever was deeply distressing him."

“My conscience leads me to keep working within the organization to advocate for its independence ensuring that it can achieve the social mission, the values which it was founded on while upholding for over 40 years," he told media outlets.

  • Parent company restrictions regarding political advocacy
  • Personal flavor creation from company founders
  • The fruit-based product serving as political symbol
  • Ongoing disagreements among parent company and social mission
Suzanne Russell
Suzanne Russell

A passionate writer and storyteller with over a decade of experience in crafting engaging narratives and mentoring aspiring authors.