🔗 Share this article

The co-founders behind the well-known ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's has claimed how corporate owner Unilever stopped the launch of an innovative Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.

The entrepreneur, who co-founded the company with his partner, announced that he will independently develop this new flavor within a personal series highlighting issues Ben & Jerry's was prevented from addressing publicly.

Ongoing Dispute Involving Founders and Parent Company

This latest announcement deepens the ongoing conflict among the internationally recognized dessert company with its corporate parent, the UK-based consumer goods giant that has owned the ice cream brand since 2000.

The co-founders maintain how the parent company along with their ice cream division the Magnum brand unlawfully blocked their company from "fulfilling its ethical commitments".

The Fruit Sorbet becoming an Emblem for Solidarity

The entrepreneur stated through an Instagram video how he's developing an innovative watermelon-flavored frozen dessert, requesting consumer ideas regarding naming options plus potential ingredients.

“I'm accomplishing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder declared from his kitchen. “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.”

The watermelon has become an emblem for support for Palestinians due to its colors, which mirror the colors in the Palestinian flag – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Historical Social Engagement and Current Changes

In 2021, the ice cream company ceased sales of their merchandise in territories under Israeli control, resulting in the parent company selling the Israeli operation to an Israeli distributor, thus allowing ongoing distribution in the occupied West Bank.

The new dessert series is being developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist ice cream brand which originally established in 2016 for endorsing ex- political contender Bernie Sanders via the product "Bernie's Return".

Management Changes plus Future Intentions

The founder stated that he plans to create other ice cream flavors focusing on concerns which the company was silenced from addressing publicly due to corporate restrictions.

This development follows partner Jerry Greenfield stepped down from Ben & Jerry's recently, following decades of involvement, mentioning worries regarding how the company's autonomy was compromised following corporate moves to restrict their advocacy work.

Previously, Ben Cohen stated how “My partner has strong compassion and this conflict with Unilever was deeply distressing him."

"My heart leads me to continue to work within the organization to advocate for its independence so that the company can achieve the social mission, the principles which it was founded on and has maintained for over 40 years," he explained to journalists.

• Corporate owner restrictions on social activism
• Personal product development from company founders
• Watermelon flavor serving as political symbol
• Continuing tensions between corporate ownership versus social mission