Ben & Jerry’s activism is ‘a strength, not a weakness’

BEN & JERRY’S social justice activism is “a strength, not a weakness”, Unilever has insisted, amid questions over whether the brand’s political campaigning could deter potential buyers.

Unilever, which owns Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum, Dove and Marmite, is plotting a potential sale of its ice cream division as part of a turnaround plan by its new chief executive Hein Schumacher.

However, questions have been raised as to whether Ben & Jerry’s campaigning on political issues and its independent board could pose a problem for companies seeking to acquire it.

Ben & Jerry’s has repeatedly clashed with Unilever over the years and has not shied away from weighing in publicly on contentious topics, such as criticising the US for being “built on stolen indigenous land” and accusing its president, Joe Biden, of “fanning the flames of war” in Ukraine.

Mr Schumacher told journalists yesterday: “We believe that [social purpose] is a very important part of the brand … we believe building on the social mission will build the brand and it will clearly be part of the ice cream company going forward.”

Fernando Fernandez, Unilever’s chief financial officer, added: “We believe it’s a strength and not a weakness”. Unlike its other ice cream brands such as Magnum, Ben & Jerry’s relationship with its parent company is more complex.

It was bought by Unilever in 2000 but is run autonomously by an independent board, a structure that was put in place to ring fence its ability to act on social issues.

Ben & Jerry’s independent board insisted last month it would not stop campaigning on issues such as social

‘We believe building on the social mission is very important and will build the brand going forward’

justice and climate change, regardless of who controls it.

Unilever’s plans to sell its ice cream business, which generates about €8bn (£6.9bn) in annual sales, are in early stages. Potential options for the company include a stock market float or a sale to a private equity buyer. The split is expected to result in the loss of about 7,500 jobs.

Separately yesterday, Nestlé posted a 5.9pc drop in sales during the first three months of this year, after raising its prices. Nestlé’s shares fell by as much as 4pc following the update.