Founder's critique of ice cream quality
Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, has expressed concern over the quality of the brand's latest product: a chocolate-covered ice cream bar on a stick. “It ain’t the same,” Cohen said during an interview with the Guardian. According to him, the ice cream feels “kinda fluffy,” an observation that suggests it might have been infused with extra air to reduce production costs. This remark comes during a time when Cohen is engaged in a broader struggle to reclaim control of the brand from its parent company, Unilever.
Cohen co-founded the ice-cream shop in Burlington, Vermont, in 1978, alongside his childhood friend Jerry Greenfield. Now 75, Cohen believes the fight for Ben & Jerry’s goes beyond mere product quality. He describes the struggle as both legal and existential, highlighting his concerns that Unilever has stifled the brand's activist roots, which he views as essential to its identity.
Legal battle over brand independence
In November 2024, Ben & Jerry’s filed a lawsuit against its parent company, Unilever, citing that it had been prevented from expressing support for Gaza and was accused of breaching the partnership agreement. The case is still pending in federal court. A year later, following the company's spin-off into Magnum Ice Cream Company, Cohen initiated a campaign called “Free Ben & Jerry’s,” asking Magnum to sell the brand, so it can be independently owned and operated once again.
For Cohen, social activism is not just a side note—it is a crucial element of what makes Ben & Jerry’s appealing to consumers. He believes the brand could be valued at over $1 billion. However, he claims Magnum is withholding key financial information that would clarify the brand’s value more precisely.
Magnum, however, maintains that the brand is not up for sale. In response, Cohen has taken a controversial step, advocating a boycott of Magnum’s other major brands, such as Yasso, Breyers, Talenti, and Klondike. He believes that a significant drop in sales for Magnum could compel the company to reconsider the sale of Ben & Jerry’s.
A history of activism and conflict
Ben & Jerry’s journey with Unilever began in 2000, when Cohen and Greenfield sold the company for $326 million. The unique agreement included the protection of the brand's values through an independent board, an arrangement lauded by the Wharton School for preserving the company's pledge to “make the world a better place” without compromising on quality or profit. Under Unilever’s ownership, the brand remained a vocal participant in social issues, taking a stand against the war in Iraq, supporting same-sex marriage, and addressing systemic racial injustices following the death of George Floyd.
The first signs of growing tension between the founders and Unilever emerged in 2021, when the independent board declared that selling ice cream in occupied Palestine was “inconsistent with our values.” This led to controversy and eventually, Unilever selling the Israeli trademark to a local businessman who introduced a new flavor called “Milk & Honey.”
The conflict escalated in 2024, when the board accused Unilever of suppressing the brand’s activism, particularly its support for the people of Gaza and criticism of U.S. foreign policy in Israel. In 2025, the situation deepened with the removal of David Stever, the CEO of Ben & Jerry’s, over his support for a board-approved initiative to develop a watermelon-flavored product to fundraise for Palestine. Stever's termination was seen as an attempt to undermine the brand's social mission.
In the wake of these developments, Jerry Greenfield, Cohen’s co-founder and longtime friend, left the board in 2025 after 50 years, declaring that the brand had lost its independence. Currently, the board consists of just two Unilever veterans, following the imposition of new term limits that further curtailed the influence of the independent directors.
Cohen insists that the boycott is a necessary but reluctant move. “We didn’t want it to have to come to this,” he said. Despite the challenges, he remains hopeful. “We want Ben & Jerry’s to remain strong because we plan on eventually owning it,” he added, reflecting on the brand’s enduring appeal and the potential of its loyal customer base to support the cause.