why did jerry leave ben and jerry

Jerry Greenfield left Ben & Jerry's because he felt that the independence the company once had to advocate for social and political issues was lost after the parent company Unilever began restricting its ability to do so. Greenfield expressed his disappointment that the unique merger agreement he and co- founder Ben Cohen had with Unilever, which was supposed to preserve the brand's social mission, was no longer being honored. He felt that Ben & Jerry's was being "silenced" and "muzzled" by Unilever, especially amidst contentious issues such as the Gaza conflict, and that this loss of independence conflicted with the brand's values of peace, justice, and human rights. This ongoing conflict caused him emotional distress, leading to his decision to resign after 47 years with the company.