🔗 Share this article

One of the original creators of the well-known ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's has stated that corporate owner the multinational conglomerate prevented the introduction of an innovative Palestine-themed ice cream flavor.

Ben Cohen, that established the business alongside Jerry Greenfield, disclosed how he will independently develop this new product as part of an individual series highlighting causes Ben & Jerry's was barred from addressing publicly.

Longstanding Conflict Between Founders versus Corporate Owner

This latest development intensifies the continuing disagreement between the world-famous dessert company and Unilever, the UK-based consumer goods corporation which acquired Ben & Jerry's since 2000.

The co-founders maintain that Unilever along with their ice cream division Magnum unlawfully blocked their company from "maintaining its activist principles".

The Fruit Sorbet as a Symbol of Solidarity

The entrepreneur revealed via social media that he's developing a new watermelon-flavored sorbet, asking for consumer ideas for the product's name plus additional components.

“I'm doing what they couldn't,” the founder declared from a cooking set. “I'm creating a watermelon-based ice cream that advocates for lasting ceasefire for Palestinians and calls for addressing the harm that occurred in the region.”

The watermelon has emerged as an emblem of solidarity with the Palestinian people because of its coloration, that match the colors in the Palestinian flag – red, green, black and white.

Previous Activism and Current Developments

In 2021, the ice cream company refused to sell its products in areas under Israeli control, leading to Unilever selling their Israel business over to an Israeli distributor, thus allowing ongoing distribution in the occupied West Bank.

This upcoming product line is being created through Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist ice cream brand which originally created several years back to support ex- political contender Senator Sanders with the flavor "Bernie's Return".

Management Shifts plus Future Intentions

Mr. Cohen indicated how he plans to create additional ice cream flavors that address issues that the company was silenced from speaking about openly by corporate restrictions.

The announcement comes after co-founder Mr. Greenfield resigned from Ben & Jerry's in September, following many years of involvement, citing concerns that the company's autonomy had been undermined following corporate moves to restrict their advocacy work.

Previously, Ben Cohen remarked how “My partner has strong compassion and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was breaking it."

"My heart compels me to continue to work within the organization to fight for its independence ensuring that it can fulfill the social mission, the principles that established its foundation while upholding for over 40 years," he told journalists.

• Corporate owner limitations on social activism
• Independent flavor creation from original creators
• Watermelon flavor serving as social statement
• Ongoing tensions among corporate ownership and ethical values