Ben Cohen (left) and Jerry Greenfield (right) of Ben & Jerry’s seen in April 2008. The iconic ice cream brand has long been known for its progression activism.
Rebecca Sapp/WireImage
Jerry of Ben & Jerry’s has resigned. With a public letter that’s a cautionary tale for any mission-driven founder considering acquisition in the consumer packaged goods space, Jerry Greenfield says there’s no way he can remain an employee of the brand he cofounded 47 years ago. When Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s two decades ago, he writes that “the independence to pursue our values” was guaranteed and enshrined in the merger agreement “in perpetuity.” Yet, as Unilever looks to spin-off its ice cream division into a separate business called The Magnum Ice Cream Company, that independence has come into question.
“Standing up for the values of justice, equity and our shared humanity has never been more important, and yet Ben & Jerry’s has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power,” writes Greenfield. “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.”
Earlier this month, Greenfield and Ben Cohen publicly asked for Ben & Jerry’s to be excluded from the spin-off. And in November 2024, as the Forbes Breaking News Desk reported, Ben & Jerry’s Independent Board sued Unilever, alleging the conglomerate had “silenced” its attempts to express support for Palestinian refugees. The complaint also alleged that Unilever has “threatened to dismantle the Independent Board and sue the board members individually,” if the company promoted a message calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Greenfield says that leaving the company is “one of the hardest and most painful decisions I’ve ever made,” but a necessary one so that he can continue to fight for justice: “It was always about more than ice cream; it was a way to spread love and invite others into the fight for equity, justice and a better world … If I can’t carry those values forward from inside the company today, then I will carry them forward outside, with all the love and conviction I can.”
— Chloe Sorvino
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Featured Story
Jerry Of Ben & Jerry’s Exits Company—Says Firm’s Activism Is Being ‘Silenced’ By Unilever
Ben Cohen (left) and Jerry Greenfield (right), cofounders of Ben & Jerry’s, partnered with MoveOn to hand out free ice cream at Franklin Square in Philadelphia during a get-out-the-vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in September 2024.
Lisa Lake/Getty Images for MoveOn
The Unilever-owned ice cream maker has been known to take vocal stances—speaking up for civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights and Palestinian people.
The Feed
Dr. Susan Monarez, former Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testifies during a Senate Committee hearing on her firing, in Washington, D.C. on September 17, 2025.
Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images
Fired CDC Chief: While testifying to a Senate committee on Wednesday morning, former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Susan Monarez said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy told her in a conversation in August that she needed to be “on board” with the move, claiming there was “no science or evidence associated with the vaccine schedule” and that he said he spoke to Trump “every day” about the change. Kennedy has said he would change the longstanding schedule for childhood vaccines sometime this month, reneging on a promise he made to senators during his confirmation hearing. Monarez said she was fired for refusing to go along with the change.
Wonder Group, which acquired Grubhub in 2024, led Q2 venture capital funding with a $600 million raise.
Photo Illustration by Scott Olson/Getty Images
Funding Snapshot: Pitchbook’s latest snapshot of food tech startups speaks to the current climate: Venture funding rebounded a bit in the second quarter of 2025, with $2 billion deployed across 128 deals—a 50% increase in deal value from the previous quarter amid a nearly 38% drop in deal count. Investors are still telling me that deal flow is lagging, and Pitchbook finds that capital was heavily concentrated, with five large deals accounting for 57% of total funding, including Wayflyer and Owner.
Limited edition pumpkin spice-flavored cereal in a Queens, New York supermarket.
Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
PSL Hell: I am so over the Pumpkin-Spice-ification of the fall grocery store. Everything does not have to be a PSL-inspired seasonal flavor! Launches like Kraft Mac & Cheese Pumpkin Spice and Pumpkin Spice Spam just scream late capitalism to me. And while I’m still a sucker for a Jack-O-Lantern slice-n-bake cookie, I’ll admit, I think we all deserve better! There’s so much else out there in the culinary universe!
Let’s Hang
It’s going to be a busy Climate Week, and I cannot wait. Add these events to your calendar! There’s something for everyone: real conversations, sustainable snacks, a play about the labor movement and even a documentary world premiere.
Monday, September 22, 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
I’m excited to be back at the Forbes Sustainability Leadership Summit to kick off New York City’s Climate Week.
Forbes on Fifth at 24 Fifth Ave. New York, NY
Monday, September 21, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
After the Forbes conference, I’ll be heading to Soho to moderate a conversation called Rooted in Change: Women Leading the Regenerative Organic Movement featuring Jen Berliner, head of brand & innovation for Patagonia Provisions, Brita Lundberg from Lundberg Family Farms, and Sarela Herrada, cofounder of SIMPLi, hosted at Patagonia’s flagship.
Patagonia store at 61-63 Crosby St. New York, NY
Tuesday, September 23, 7:00 p.m.
After Food Tank cofounder Bernard Pollack unveils his play Catalyst Coffee, praised as “one of the best new shows of 2024” (The Arts Fuse), I will be interviewed by Danielle Nierenberg alongside the legendary author and journalist Eric Schlosser for a post-show talkback.
WNYC NPR Studios at 44 Charlton St. New York, NY
SOLD OUT (more info on live-streaming here)
Thursday, September 25, 6:30 – 7:45 p.m.
Join me for the world premiere of episode four of the series The Price of Milk. And stay after the screening for a short panel I’ll be speaking on with producers from the film. What a time to be talking about this all — who else clocked whole milk’s big win in the MAHA report? I’m featured as an expert in the documentary but have only seen the first three episodes, which launched at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year.
Cooper Union Great Hall Foundation Building at 7 E 7th St. New York, NY
Friday, September 26, 1:30 – 5:30 p.m.
I’m also moderating at Food Tank’s afternoon session on Regenerative Food Systems: Scaling Impact – Soil to Shelf. Our 2:20 p.m. panel called “From Soil to System: Farmers Driving Climate Solutions” will feature four farmers: Patrick Brown, Fourth-generation farmer and Director of Farmer Inclusion at Nature For Justice, Clara Coleman, second-generation farmer, farm consultant and founder of Real Farmer Care, John Moore, farmer of St. Croix Farm and Jamie Ager, farmer, and cofounder and CEO of Hickory Nut Gap.
WNYC NPR Studios at 44 Charlton St. New York, NY
SOLD OUT (more info on live-streaming here)
Field Notes
The team from New York City’s beloved Thai Diner has done it again! The recently opened counter-service restaurant Mommy Pai’s serves wildly delicious chicken finger boxes with spicy or coconut coatings and sauces like passionfruit pink peppercorn sweet & sour or Phuket island sauce. The rest of the menu is just as tasty, with fried tofu sandwiches, luxurious scallion cakes and spicy-sweet slushies. I recommend the pineapple Thai basil!
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