Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield has stepped down from the ice cream maker after nearly 50 years amid an ongoing row with parent company Unilever .

In an open letter shared on Wednesday by the eponymous brand's co-founder Ben Cohen, Greenfield dubbed the decision "painful," but said that the Unilever had silenced the company's ability to speak up on global issues, including the conflict in Gaza.

"It's with a broken heart that I've decided I can no longer, in good conscience, and after 47 years, remain an employee of Ben & Jerry's," Greenfield wrote in a post on X.

The departure comes despite a merger agreement with Unilever — which bought Ben & Jerry's for $326 million in 2000 — that was expected to safeguard the Vermont-based company's independence.

Ben & Jerry's ha

See Full Page