It comes from our human values; it comes from the values we have in our company. But we also see those communities thriving and doing better and being better for our business. Climate justice is about climate change, but it’s also about the fact that poor people, disadvantaged people, get hurt first. The wealthy can move, they can shift around; the poor cannot. That has an equity component in it. But as we’re moving into the next phase, for us, we have to recognize that we’re a terribly white company. You know, we come from Vermont, and Vermont is 96% white.

Milk Chocolate Cashew Brazil Nut Butter Ice Cream with Macadamia Nuts in White & Dark Fudge & a Milk Chocolatey Swirl Coconut Almond Fudge Chip meets New York Super Fudge Chunk - A Swirling Safari of Chocolate Ice Cream & Coconut Ice Cream mixed with White & Dark Chocolatey Chunks, Pecans & Roasted Almonds White Russian meets Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz! A Caffeinated Cross of Coffee Ice Cream with Coffee Liqueur Mixed with Espresso Fudge Chips There are issues that come up that are important — legitimate issues — but we haven’t built an internal program. So we’ll start that, and then join in. But controversy is not something that scares us. Maybe it should, but it doesn’t. We were the only corporation to support Occupy Wall Street at Zuccotti Park, which was a surprise to them, as well. And you know, nothing bad really happened to our business as a result of that. Solheim: There are many issues where we’ve had to say we can’t go there, not necessarily because they’re too hot or too controversial, more because we don’t judge that we have a real ability to make an impact, or that we are prepared. You know, we believe you’ve got to walk the walk — not just talk. So we want to align our internal programs with the external campaigning.

Is Ben And Jerry’s Phish Food Gluten-free?

Katherine Klein: We’re here to talk about the social mission of the company and how you have maintained it even as Ben & Jerry’s has become part of Unilever. Klein: You had a career in ice cream at Unilever before coming on five years ago as CEO of Ben & Jerry’s. How was the transition from the larger entity of Unilever to this interestingly different mission-driven company? We just launched a product, “Save Our Swirled,” which is in support of a binding climate agreement in Paris, where the U.N. [held talks]. We launched that with Tesla out on the West Coast. And then, we launched a European version in Bonn … inside the climate negotiations at the U.N. So we had the opportunity to feed all those people who are trying to work this out for us. It’s very hard to be angry and eat ice cream at the same time. It’s very tempting to stop and sign a petition, if there’s free ice cream.”

We love half baked Ben and Jerry’s. HalfBaked’s Ben and Jerry’s flavor has topped the sales chart for two years in a row, 2020 and 2021, which is relatively true. What Is Cookie Core Ice Cream? In 1984, Ben & Jerry’s co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield debuted Karamel Sutra, a caramel and chocolate ice cream flavor. The flavor was an instant hit with fans and has remained a popular choice ever since. Today, Karamel Sutra is still one of Ben & Jerry’s most iconic flavors. Yes, Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food is gluten-free. The ice cream is made with milk, cream, sugar, and eggs, and the fish-shaped fudge pieces are made with cocoa, sugar, and milk. Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Nonpareils, Fudge-Covered Crisped Rice Candy, Peanuts Dipped in Fudge & a Caramel Candy Swirl But when co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield agreed to sell the business in 2000 to Unilever, a multinational food giant, plenty of people expected that those missions wouldn’t survive. To a remarkable degree, they were mistaken.Solheim: Yeah, they are involved, but they do more of their own things. They have the best jobs in the world. Their job is to be Ben and to be Jerry, and they basically just have to deliver on that. Day-to-day operations are really in the hands of the management team and the board of directors. Ben & Jerry’s had ten of their most popular flavors gluten-free by 2020. You can choose from non-dairy alternatives such as sorbet and NSA options. Scoop Shops carries gluten-free versions of Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey, and Super Fudge Chunk. Because of cross-contamination, these flavors will not be certified gluten-free when sold in stores. gluten-free flavors are available in a variety of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavors. Phish Food, the Triple Caramel Chunk, and the Oatmeal Cookie Chunk are all gluten-free. Scoop Shops also sells a new tub of ice cream for customers to request a fresh scoop. Klein: So talk to us about some of those specific values and how they are enacted through your products, through your employment practices and partnerships. We were the only corporation to support Occupy Wall Street at Zuccotti Park, which was a surprise to them, as well.”

with a Fudge Truffle Core) - A Soft Fudge Truffle Core Surrounded by Chocolate & Vanilla Ice Creams with White & Dark Fudge Chips Caramel Ice Cream with White Fudge Covered Caramel Popcorn, Toffee-Coated Peanuts & a Caramel Swirl In a recent interview with Katherine Klein, vice dean of the Wharton Social Impact Initiative, current Ben & Jerry’s CEO Jostein Solheim talked about how the ice cream company has managed to hold onto its original social missions, despite its absorption by Unilever. Klein: So Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, and this was a company where the social mission was baked into the brand. Are there instances where you as a CEO, or as a company, have said, “Yeah, we care about that issue, but we can’t go there. That’s too hot, that’s too controversial”?

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Solheim: Well, I think that’s the key point. A lot of companies would say they’re consumer-led, whether that’s in product development or in a mission. Similarly, when companies come to the world of corporate social responsibility, they ask themselves, ‘What do people really care about? And how can we be a part of that?’ At Ben & Jerry’s, we come at it the other way. We actually ask ourselves, ‘What do we truly believe in — us?’ And then we execute well, because we truly believe in it, and hence, convince others to join us. So that’s what we mean by that: It starts with our values, and then we apply and join in movements with other partners to make change. Klein: On the inequity/inequality front, maybe two questions. What is the connection you’re seeing between business success and inequality? What is that negative relationship you are seeing? And how might you take action in this space? Solheim: I don’t know whether that transition was tougher for them or for me. But Unilever as a company is very aligned in its values. It actually has a lot of diversity in it in terms of management styles, personalities. It has a history of quite a lot of autonomy in its senior leaders, so it wasn’t a super stark contrast. You know, I worked in Italy, I worked in Sweden — the culture of Ben & Jerry’s is actually similar to typical Scandinavian companies. It’s a flat, un-hierarchical sort of approach to business. The biggest thing for me was I felt a big sense of responsibility. Solheim: That’s typically the first question you get when you’re getting involved in structural racism and some of these other deep-rooted social issues — and what’s in it for a business. If you actually look at the correlation of success, of economic success and inequality, it is highly correlated. We have an inherent value and belief that a society where everybody is treated justly and equally is just a better community to be in. It maps out very nicely, as well, in terms of economic opportunity and success. Cherry Garcia meets Chocolate Fudge Brownie - A Tasty Trip of Cherry Ice Cream & Chocolate Ice Cream Mixed with Cherries, Fudge Flakes & Chunks of Brownies