Ben & Jerry's
Dining · 600+ locations · US nationwide; sold in 35+ countries worldwide
The Vermont brand that made activism part of the ice cream. Unilever bought it in 2000 promising an independent social-mission board; its new public parent, The Magnum Ice Cream Company, removed that board in January 2026, and the fight is now in federal court.
The Big Picture
Ben & Jerry's still runs real worker and sourcing programs that most brands its size don't: union contracts at both Vermont factories, Fairtrade-certified core ingredients, and an independently monitored dairy labor standard. But the structural protection that made its activism durable is gone — Magnum removed the brand's independent social-mission board in January 2026, both founders are out of any position of authority, and the dispute is now in federal court. The company answers to Magnum Ice Cream shareholders, with Unilever still holding a stake just under 20 percent.
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Company data last updated August 2026
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