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Ben & Jerry's's co-founder Jerry Greenfield has left the company after nearly five decades, intensifying an ongoing conflict with corporate owner the multinational conglomerate.

In a letter shared on online platforms by fellow co-founder Ben Cohen, Mr Greenfield asserted that the company had lost its independence after Unilever restricted its advocacy efforts.

His departure represents the latest development in a dispute that started in recent years when the brand announced it would cease sales in disputed territories in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.

An official representative for The Magnum Ice Cream Company, which is being separated from Unilever, expressed thanks to Greenfield but diverged with his viewpoint.

A Painful Choice

In his message, Mr Greenfield characterized departing from the firm as "one of the hardest and difficult choices" he had taken, adding that he could no longer in good conscience work for a business that had been "muzzled" by Unilever.

This was even with an arrangement that protected the brand's social mission when it merged with the global corporation decades prior.

Company's Reaction

An official for the ice cream firm mentioned that the organization had been in discussions with the two co-founders before Mr Greenfield's decision to leave.

"We disagree with his view and have sought to engage both founders in a constructive conversation on how to bolster the brand's strong principle-driven standing in the world," they commented.

Long-Standing Advocacy

The company has long been recognized for taking a public stance on progressive causes since its founding in 1978, often supporting movements on topics like equality rights and climate change.

In recent months, the company claimed that its CEO, David Stever, was being ousted by Unilever.

This claim was part of a legal case submitted in a US court by the brand that alleged Unilever of breaching a merger agreement by attempting to silence its "social mission".

This followed accusations that Unilever had instructed the firm to stop publicly criticising US President Donald Trump.

A representative stated that the corporation was "disappointed that the privacy of an employee career conversation has been disclosed".

Additional Developments

In May, Mr Cohen was detained during a demonstration in the American Senate over foreign assistance to the state of Israel and crisis situation in Gaza.

Protesters interrupted the session while Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr was testifying.

Cohen was accused with a misdemeanour offence, while a number of other demonstrators were also arrested and are confronting additional charges, law enforcement stated.