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Ben & Jerry's's founding member Jerry Greenfield has exited the firm after nearly 50 years, escalating an existing disagreement with parent company Unilever.

In a message shared on online platforms by fellow co-founder Ben Cohen, Greenfield asserted that the company had lost its autonomy after Unilever halted its advocacy efforts.

The exit marks the latest development in a controversy that began in 2021 when the brand declared it would cease selling in disputed territories in the Palestinian territories and East Jerusalem.

A spokesperson for the ice cream division, which is being separated from Unilever, expressed gratitude to Greenfield but diverged with his viewpoint.

A Difficult Decision

In his letter, Mr Greenfield described departing from the company as "among the toughest and most painful choices" he had ever made, adding that he could no longer ethically be part of a business that had been "silenced" by Unilever.

This was even with an arrangement that safeguarded the brand's social mission when it joined with the consumer goods giant decades prior.

Corporate Reaction

A spokesperson for The Magnum Ice Cream Company stated that the company had been in dialogue with the two founders before Mr Greenfield's choice to leave.

"We differ with his view and have attempted to engage both co-founders in a constructive conversation on how to bolster Ben & Jerry's's strong principle-driven standing in the world," they said.

Long-Standing Activism

The company has historically been known for advocating publicly on progressive causes since its founding in 1978, often supporting movements on issues like equality rights and environmental sustainability.

In recent months, the company claimed that its chief executive, David Stever, was being ousted by Unilever.

This claim was included in a lawsuit submitted in a US court by the brand that accused Unilever of violating a merger agreement by trying to silence its "social mission".

This followed accusations that Unilever had instructed the company to stop criticizing US President Donald Trump.

A representative remarked that the corporation was "unhappy that the confidentiality of an internal discussion has been disclosed".

Recent Developments

In May, Ben Cohen was arrested during a protest in the American Senate over military aid to the state of Israel and crisis situation in the Gaza Strip.

Demonstrators disrupted the session while a government official Robert F Kennedy Jr was testifying.

Mr Cohen was charged with a minor violation, while several other protesters were also arrested and are confronting additional charges, authorities stated.