Ben & Jerry’s Ukraine tweet gets frosty reception from Unilever boss
The chief executive of Ben & Jerry’s parent company, Unilever, has criticised the ice-cream maker’s controversial tweet about the Ukraine crisis, saying it should stay away from issues where it does not have “expertise or credibility”.
The ice-cream company, which drew fire with a decision to stop selling its products in occupied Palestinian territories last year, caused a social media storm on Friday by calling on Biden to not send more troops to Europe, saying he risked “fanning the flames of war”.
Unilever boss Alan Jope was asked about the company’s reaction to the tweet during a press call about his company’s annual results on Thursday.
The consumer goods giant acquired Ben & Jerry’s more than 20 years ago in a move that many predicted would dilute the counter-culture ethos of a company founded in 1970s San Francisco. But the ice-cream maker has continued to speak out on issues such as equality and the climate crisis.
“It is a great brand, most of the time they get it right,” said Jope. “They have a great track record campaigning on important issues. But [on] subjects where Unilever brands don’t have expertise or credibility it is best to stay out of the debate.”
<p lang=«en» dir=«ltr» xml:lang=«en»>You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war. ⁰⁰We call on President Biden to de-escalate tensions and work for peace rather than prepare for war. ⁰⁰Sending thousands more US troops to Europe in response to Russia’s threats against Ukraine only fans the flame of war.Jope pointed out that the views held by subsidiaries are not those of the company. Unilever is unable to muzzle Ben & Jerry’s, as under the terms of its takeover in 2000 the ice-cream company has its own independent board of directors free to take their
Read more on theguardian.com
