Ben & Jerry’s
Risk Level:
Summary:
Ben & Jerry's is an activist company that regularly uses its corporate resources to promote legislative agendas such as cannabis legalization, increased abortion access, restrictions on free speech, and more. It has donated to openly political groups such as Color of Change. Its attempt to pull its business out of Israel prompted its parent, Unilever, to step in and sell Ben & Jerry's Israeli branch. The company does not grant donations to faith-based charities and vets suppliers for LGBTQ policies. Ben & Jerry's does not have viewpoint protections for its employees. For these reasons, Ben & Jerry's receives a "High Risk" rating.
Has denied service to customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.
Ben & Jerry’s received a score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign (1). Among other requirements, this means the company has pledged to vet vendors for LGBTQ policies. In July 2021, Ben & Jerry’s announced that it would end sales in the West Bank, which the company referred to as “Occupied Palestinian Territory” (2). Upon pushback from local subsidiary Ben & Jerry’s Israel, the company suddenly decided to end the franchise. When the ice cream chain’s parent company Unilever attempted damage control by preemptively selling off the Israeli franchise, Ben & Jerry’s immediately attempted to sue Unilever (3).
Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.
Employment policies fail to protect against discrimination based on political affiliation/views and/or religion.
Ben & Jerry’s does not protect employees from viewpoint discrimination (1).
Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.
Ben & Jerry’s publicly opposes election security legislation (such as the Georgia voting bill), and the company cites the ACLU and Color of Change as “Friends in the Movement” (1). Ben & Jerry’s has been a consistent supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and has publicly supported the Defund the Police slogan and racial reparation policy (2)(3). Ben & Jerry’s posted a defense of the Equality Act on its site entitled “The Equality Act and Why We Need It” (4). Ben & Jerry’s has tweeted that the justice system “can’t be reformed” and “must be dismantled” (5). In 2020, Ben & Jerry’s joined the “#StopHateForProfit” boycott of Facebook intended to force the social media site to enact stricter speech rules (6). Ben & Jerry’s signed onto the Human Rights Campaign’s Business Coalition on Anti-LGBTQ Legislation, as well as further statements expressing opposition to a Florida law prohibiting the teaching of gender identity and sexual orientation to children in K-3rd grade (7)(8). The company also posted a five-part pro-choice commentary on Twitter when the Supreme Court decision ending Roe v. Wade was leaked in 2022 (9). The company had published similar commentaries regarding state-level abortion laws previously (10). In 2022, Ben & Jerry’s led a campaign in favor of cannabis reform (11).
Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
In 2018, Ben & Jerry’s donated $25,000 to Color of Change (1). Over a span of 14 months between 2018 and 2019, the company paid $1.4 million for Facebook ads advocating for criminal justice reform (2). In 2017, Ben & Jerry’s donated to the Anti-Defamation League and called upon others to do the same (3).
Uses corporate political contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.
Neither Ben & Jerry’s nor its parent Unilever has an active PAC.
All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
March 21, 2023
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