🔗 Share this article

The original creators behind the famous frozen dessert company Ben and Jerry's has stated how parent company the multinational conglomerate blocked the launch of a new Palestine-themed frozen dessert product.

Ben Cohen, who co-founded the company with Jerry Greenfield, revealed that he plans to personally create the controversial product as part of an individual series highlighting issues the company has been prevented from addressing publicly.

Longstanding Dispute Involving Founders and Parent Company

This latest development escalates the continuing disagreement among the internationally recognized dessert company with Unilever, the UK-based consumer goods corporation that acquired the ice cream brand since 2000.

The co-founders maintain that Unilever along with their ice cream division Magnum unlawfully blocked Ben & Jerry's from "maintaining its activist principles".

Watermelon Sorbet as an Emblem for Support

The entrepreneur revealed through social media that he's developing a new watermelon-flavored sorbet, requesting consumer ideas regarding naming options plus additional components.

“I'm accomplishing what they were prevented from doing,” Mr. Cohen stated in a cooking set. “I'm creating a watermelon-flavored frozen dessert that calls for lasting ceasefire in Palestine while demanding repairing the damage that was done there.”

The watermelon has become a symbol of support for the Palestinian people due to its colors, which closely resemble the colors in Palestine's national banner – red, green, black and white.

Historical Activism plus Recent Developments

Several years ago, the ice cream company refused to sell its products in areas under Israeli control, leading to the parent company transferring their Israel business over to a local licensee, thus allowing continued sales within disputed territories.

The new product line will be developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the activist dessert company which originally established in 2016 for endorsing former political contender Senator Sanders via the product "Bernie's Back".

Leadership Changes and Upcoming Plans

The founder revealed how he plans to develop other ice cream flavors focusing on concerns which the company was silenced from addressing publicly by corporate restrictions.

The announcement comes after partner Jerry Greenfield stepped down his position at Ben & Jerry's recently, after many years of involvement, citing worries that the company's autonomy was undermined following Unilever's decision to curb their advocacy work.

At that time, Mr. Cohen commented how “My partner has strong compassion and the ongoing dispute with our parent company was deeply distressing him."

"My heart leads me to continue to work within the organization to advocate for corporate autonomy ensuring that the company can fulfill the social mission, the values that it was founded on and has maintained for over 40 years," he explained to media outlets.

• Corporate owner limitations on social activism
• Personal product development by company founders
• Watermelon flavor serving as social statement
• Continuing tensions between parent company and social mission