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The iconic ice cream company's co-founder Jerry Greenfield has exited the business after almost 50 years, intensifying an existing conflict with parent company Unilever.

In a statement published on online platforms by fellow co-founder Ben Cohen, Mr Greenfield asserted that the company had lost its autonomy after Unilever halted its advocacy efforts.

The exit represents the most recent development in a controversy that started in recent years when Ben & Jerry's declared it would cease sales in disputed territories in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

An official representative for the ice cream division, which is being spun off from Unilever, stated thanks to Mr Greenfield but diverged with his stance.

A Difficult Decision

Through his message, Greenfield described leaving the company as "among the toughest and difficult decisions" he had taken, adding that he could no longer in good conscience work for a business that had been "muzzled" by Unilever.

This was despite an agreement that safeguarded the brand's ethical values when it joined with the global corporation 25 years ago.

Company's Response

An official for the ice cream firm stated that the company had been in dialogue with the two co-founders before Mr Greenfield's decision to depart.

"We differ with his view and have sought to engage both founders in a constructive conversation on how to bolster Ben & Jerry's's powerful values-based standing in the world," they commented.

Long-Standing Advocacy

Ben & Jerry's has long been recognized for advocating publicly on social issues since its founding in 1978, often backing campaigns on issues like LGBTQ+ rights and environmental sustainability.

Earlier this year, the company stated that its CEO, David Stever, was being removed by Unilever.

This claim was included in a lawsuit filed in a American court by Ben & Jerry's that alleged Unilever of breaching a merger agreement by trying to silence its "ethical advocacy".

This followed accusations that Unilever had instructed the company to cease publicly criticising US President Donald Trump.

A representative stated that the corporation was "unhappy that the confidentiality of an employee career conversation has been made public".

Recent Events

In May, Mr Cohen was detained during a demonstration in the US Senate over foreign assistance to Israel and humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

Demonstrators disrupted the session while Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr was testifying.

Mr Cohen was charged with a misdemeanour offence, while a number of other demonstrators were also taken into custody and are confronting more serious charges, authorities stated.