Ben & Jerry
- Type
- Food & Ingredient Manufacturer
- Location
- Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Industries
- Alternative proteins, Food ingredients & products, Food reformulation, Sustainable packaging & plastic alternatives, Ingredient sourcing, Supply chain monitoring & traceability
- Domains
- Plant based primary products, Almonds, Ingredients, Dairy ingredients, Processed food products, Ice cream, Frozen foods
- Technologies
- IQF freezing, Processing
About Ben & Jerry
Ben & Jerry’s is a super-premium ice cream brand founded in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont, by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. The company presents itself as more than an ice cream maker: it is built around a three-part mission that balances product quality, economic sustainability, and social impact. (benjerry.nl)
On its Dutch site, Ben & Jerry’s says it makes the best possible ice cream in the best possible way, using carefully chosen ingredients and a values-led approach. It also emphasizes that the business is meant to create shared prosperity for everyone connected to it, while speaking out on issues the brand considers important. (benjerry.nl)
Today, the brand is distributed broadly through supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, cinemas, Scoop Shops, and on-demand delivery, and it operates as a subsidiary of The Magnum Ice Cream Company with an independent board designed to protect its social mission and brand integrity. (benjerry.nl)
Core Values
- Shared prosperity: Ben & Jerry’s says its mission is to create prosperity for everyone connected to the business, not only financial return for shareholders. This idea sits at the center of its three-part mission. (benjerry.nl)
- Social justice: The brand explicitly uses its platform to speak out on equality, human rights, and other social issues it considers important. Its website frames activism as part of the company’s purpose. (benjerry.nl)
- Environmental responsibility: Ben & Jerry’s says it aims to protect and regenerate the environment, including through positive impact on ecosystems and climate-related action. (benjerry.nl)
- Careful ingredient sourcing: The company emphasizes carefully chosen ingredients and values-led sourcing, including fair-trade-oriented and farmer-supportive practices. (benjerry.nl)
Unique Aspects
- Independent board structure: Ben & Jerry’s has an independent board created to protect the brand’s social mission and integrity, which is unusual for a large consumer brand. (benjerry.nl)
- Mission-driven brand identity: The company is unusually explicit about activism, treating social and environmental advocacy as part of the brand rather than a side initiative. (benjerry.nl)
- Values-led sourcing model: Ben & Jerry’s highlights sourcing practices that aim to benefit farmers and communities, including fair-trade and linked-prosperity concepts. (benjerry.nl)
- Broad international reach: The brand says its products are sold in more than 35 countries and distributed through a wide mix of retail and delivery channels. (benjerry.nl)