Ben & Jerry's Co-Founder States Parent Company Halted Pro-Palestinian Ice Cream Product
One of the co-founders of the famous frozen dessert company Ben and Jerry's has stated that corporate owner the multinational conglomerate prevented the introduction of a new pro-Palestinian ice cream flavor.
The entrepreneur, that established the company with Jerry Greenfield, announced that he will personally create this new flavor as part of an individual collection highlighting causes the company was barred from addressing publicly.
Longstanding Conflict Involving Founders versus Parent Company
This latest announcement deepens the continuing disagreement between the internationally recognized ice cream maker with its corporate parent, the UK-based packaged goods corporation that acquired the ice cream brand for over two decades.
Both founders maintain how Unilever along with their ice cream division Magnum improperly prevented their company against "maintaining its activist principles".
Watermelon Flavor becoming an Emblem of Support
The entrepreneur revealed through an Instagram video that he's developing an innovative watermelon-flavored sorbet, requesting consumer ideas for naming options and additional components.
“I'm accomplishing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder declared from a cooking set. “I'm making a watermelon-based ice cream that calls for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians while demanding addressing the harm that occurred in the region.”
This particular fruit has become an emblem of solidarity with Palestinians because of its coloration, that mirror those of the Palestinian flag – red, green, black and white.
Previous Activism and Current Developments
Several years ago, the ice cream company refused to sell its products in territories under Israeli control, resulting in Unilever transferring their Israel business to a local licensee, thereby permitting ongoing distribution within the occupied West Bank.
The new dessert series will be created through Ben's Best, the activist ice cream brand that originally created in 2016 to support ex- US presidential candidate Senator Sanders with the flavor "Bernie's Back".
Leadership Changes plus Upcoming Plans
Mr. Cohen stated that he plans to create additional ice cream flavors that address concerns that the company was silenced from speaking about openly by Unilever.
This development comes after co-founder Mr. Greenfield resigned from Ben & Jerry's recently, after decades with the organization, mentioning concerns that its independence had been undermined after corporate moves to restrict its social activism.
Previously, Mr. Cohen commented how “My partner has strong compassion and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was deeply distressing him."
“My conscience compels me to keep working within the organization to advocate for corporate autonomy so that the company can fulfill the social mission, the principles which established its foundation while upholding for decades," he explained to media outlets.
- Parent company limitations on social activism
- Personal flavor creation by original creators
- The fruit-based product serving as social statement
- Continuing disagreements between corporate ownership versus social mission