While Ben Cohen Continues To Fight, Ben & Jerry’s Shows its New Social Activism
The feud between the old management at Ben & Jerry’s and new owner Magnum Ice Cream Co. has been quiet for a while. But Ben Cohen, one of the co-founders, this week stirred the ashes on the one-year anniversary of the resignation of the other co-founder, Jerry Greenfield.
“Jerry warned that Ben & Jerry’s had been silenced at the moment it was needed most,” Cohen wrote this week. He claimed the Trump administration’s “assault on democracy has only escalated,” while the social activist ice cream brand has shied away from criticizing.
The result? “Magnum is on course to destroy the Ben & Jerry’s brand,” Cohen said.
Ben & Jerry’s, however, defended itself in emails to Food Processing. We’ll get to those in two paragraphs.
In a video statement on Sept. 17, 2025, Greenfield stepped away from a ceremonial role with the company after years of arguments and lawsuits with, at first, Unilever and then with Magnum. Ben & Jerry’s was the crown jewel included in Magnum’s spinoff from Unilever last year. Cohen quoted Greenfield as saying at the time, “The independence that had been guaranteed when Unilever bought the company [in 2000] was gone.”
Indeed, there were some authoritarian decisions in recent years, including Unilever’s removal of Ben & Jerry’s CEO, squelching criticism of Israel and replacing directors on B&J’s “independent” board of directors. But a spokesperson for Ben & Jerry’s offered us some defense and new activities:
“Recently, we've taken stands on ICE, refugee support in Europe, cannabis justice and voting rights," he said in an email to Food Processing. "Take a look at our Instagram, which regularly covers the issues and movements we support, including anti-authoritarianism, racial equity, cannabis justice, reproductive rights, trans rights and more.
“Our post two days ago call[ed] out the Trump Administration” on mail-in voting.
“Our mid-terms campaign is our Fudge Fascism work in DC, linked to our anti-authoritarianism flavor Razz Up!” In August, team members in front of the infamous Reflecting Pool held up letters that spelled “Fudge Fascism” – in the process promoting the new flavor.
And today (Sept. 17), a $3 million grant to People’s Action Institute, a national network of grassroots organizations. The donation supports an initiative to strengthen “the organizing infrastructure needed to defeat the authoritarianism playbook,” a B&J announcement said. The grant “builds on [Ben & Jerry’s] commitment to stand against authoritarianism and support people-powered movements.”
A Ben & Jerry’s Foundation continues to make grants that support grassroots movements and progressive change, as well as maintaining a commitment to the company’s home state of Vermont. “So, there’s a dedicated team doing this work every day,” the spokesperson wrote. “Bottom line: Our social mission is baked into the business and will never change.”
About the Author
Dave Fusaro
Editor in Chief
Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.