why did ben leave ben and jerry's

Ben Greenfield left Ben & Jerry's because he felt the company's independence to advocate for social and political causes was being stifled by its parent company, Unilever. After nearly 47 years, Greenfield resigned with a "broken heart," expressing that Unilever had "muzzled" Ben & Jerry's, limiting its ability to campaign for social issues that the brand strongly identified with. This loss of independence and the sidelining of the company's social mission, especially amid ongoing social justice challenges, led to his difficult decision to step down. Ben Cohen, the other co-founder, confirmed that Greenfield felt deeply distressed by the conflict with Unilever and believed resignation was the right choice for him.