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 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 has lo

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