Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield has quit after nearly half a century and claimed the company’s social activism has been “silenced”. Founded by Greenfield and Ben Cohen in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont, Ben & Jerry’s is an ice cream brand famous for its flavours like Cherry Garcia and Chunky Monkey. The firm has long advocated for social issues, including LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, refugee rights, climate activism, fair trade and supporting Palestine. In a letter penned by Greenfield and shared on social media by Cohen, the co-founder said stepping back from the company was one of the “hardest and most painful decisions” he had made but “can no longer, in good conscience, and after 47 years, remain an employee of Ben & Jerry’s”. Greenfield wrote that “what allowed the company to be more than just an ice cream company” was the “independence to pursue our values” – which was guaranteed in an agreement with Unilever when the conglomerate purchased the company in 2000 for $32...