The ice cream brand's Co-Founder States Unilever Blocked Pro-Palestinian Ice Cream Product

Ice cream activism illustration
Activist Founders advocating for social causes through dessert products

The co-founders of the well-known ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's has announced that corporate owner the multinational conglomerate stopped the introduction of an innovative pro-Palestinian frozen dessert product.

The entrepreneur, who established the business with Jerry Greenfield, announced how he will personally create this new flavor as part of a personal series highlighting issues the company has been prevented from speaking out about.

Ongoing Dispute Involving Founders and Corporate Owner

The recent development deepens the ongoing disagreement between the world-famous dessert company and its corporate parent, the UK-based consumer goods corporation that has owned the ice cream brand since 2000.

The co-founders have claimed how the parent company and their ice cream division Magnum unlawfully blocked their company against "maintaining its activist principles".

Watermelon Flavor as a Symbol for Support

The entrepreneur revealed through social media how he's developing an innovative watermelon-flavored sorbet, requesting consumer ideas regarding the product's name plus potential ingredients.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen commented in his kitchen. “I'm creating a watermelon-based frozen dessert that advocates for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians and calls for addressing the harm that was done there.”

This particular fruit has become a symbol of support for the Palestinian people because of its coloration, that closely resemble the colors in the Palestinian flag – red, green, black and white.

Previous Activism plus Recent Developments

In 2021, the ice cream company refused to sell their merchandise in areas occupied by Israel, resulting in the parent company selling the Israeli operation over to a local licensee, thereby permitting continued sales within the occupied West Bank.

This upcoming dessert series is being developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist ice cream brand that originally created several years back for endorsing ex- political contender Senator Sanders with the flavor "Bernie's Back".

Management Shifts and Future Plans

The founder indicated that he will create additional frozen dessert varieties focusing on concerns which the company was silenced from addressing publicly due to corporate restrictions.

This development comes after partner Mr. Greenfield resigned from Ben & Jerry's recently, following many years with the organization, mentioning worries that its independence had been compromised after corporate moves to restrict its social activism.

At that time, Mr. Cohen stated that “My partner has a really big heart and this conflict with our parent company was deeply distressing him."

"My heart leads me to keep working inside the company to fight for its independence so that the company can achieve the social mission, the principles that established its foundation while upholding for decades," he told journalists.

  • Parent company limitations regarding social activism
  • Independent product development from company founders
  • The fruit-based product as political symbol
  • Continuing tensions between corporate ownership versus social mission
Karen Smith
Karen Smith

A seasoned casino strategist with over a decade of experience in game analysis and player psychology, specializing in maximizing slot machine returns.