WASHINGTON

Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s, announced his resignation, saying the company’s tradition of social activism has been “silenced” under parent company, Unilever.

Greenfield, 74, said in a statement late Tuesday that was shared by his longtime business partner, Ben Cohen, that he could no longer remain “in good conscience” at the company they founded in the state of Vermont in 1978.

“Standing up for values like justice, equity, and shared humanity has never been more important, yet Ben & Jerry’s has been silenced and sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power,” he wrote. “It's easy to stand up and speak out when there's nothing at risk. The real test of values is when times are challenging and you have something to lose.”

Sharing Greenfield's statement on the US social media company, X, Cohen said: “After 47 years, Jerry has made the difficult decision to step down from the company we built together. I’m sharing his words as he resigns from Ben & Jerry’s. His legacy deserves to be true to our values, not silenced by @MagnumGlobal.”

Earlier this year, Unilever announced plans to spin off its ice cream unit into the Magnum Ice Cream Company and list it in London and New York.

The announcement follows years of disputes between Unilever and the ice cream brand’s independent board, which was created in 2000 to safeguard its social mission.

Tensions escalated after Ben & Jerry’s ended sales in Israeli-occupied territories in 2021 and later sought to demand a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

Cohen, who staged a protest in London last week demanding independence for the brand, has not announced plans to step down.