Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen is escalating a campaign to separate the ice cream brand from the Magnum Ice Cream Co., arguing that corporate ownership has weakened the independent board and social mission protected when the company was sold to Unilever in 2000.
Cohen has called for consumers to boycott other Magnum brands, including Breyers, Klondike, Talenti and Yasso, in an effort to pressure the company to sell Ben & Jerry’s. Magnum says the brand is not for sale and is thriving within the larger company.
The dispute centers on an acquisition agreement that gave an independent board authority over the brand’s social mission and elements of product quality. The board sued Unilever in federal court in 2024, alleging that the parent company blocked statements about Gaza and violated the agreement. The litigation remained pending when the Guardian published its report.
The conflict widened after Unilever spun off its ice cream holdings into Magnum. Ben & Jerry’s said former CEO David Stever was pushed out to suppress the social mission; Unilever said his position was reevaluated during the separation and that he declined another role. Co-founder Jerry Greenfield later resigned, saying the brand had lost its independence.
Magnum disputed Cohen’s contention that product quality and activism have been compromised. A company representative said the business continues to support Ben & Jerry’s three-part social, product and economic mission. Magnum reported 3% organic growth for the brand in 2025 and said the brand’s footprint expanded from four countries to more than 40 after the acquisition.
Management experts told the Guardian that consumer boycotts often lose momentum and that forcing an $11 billion company to sell a major brand would be unusual. Cohen said his campaign had collected about 200,000 signatures and would continue. The dispute leaves customers weighing the founders’ account against the parent company’s defense while the courts consider the contractual issues.
Source: The Guardian, with company statements and federal court records cited in its report. Published July 31, 2026.
