« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2021, 02:31:06 pm »
The parent company is now doing some furious backpeddling as its share price plummets in the wake of the ice cream fiasco
''We're not woke', says Unilever boss
The boss of Unilever has insisted the consumer goods behemoth is not "woke", as he sought to distance it from a decision by its Ben & Jerry's brand to stop selling ice cream in occupied Palestinian territories.
Alan Jope rejected the label despite saying the Marmite, Domestos and Magnum owner is committed to campaigning for "universal human truths" such as social justice and refugee rights.
Unilever has long trumpeted its social values, slashing carbon emissions across its brands and vowing to become "a beacon of diversity and inclusion".
However, it sparked fury in Israel this week when Ben & Jerry's said that serving occupied territories went against its values. Naftali Bennett, the prime minister, threatened the FTSE 100 company with "severe consequences" as a result.
It came as shares fell almost 6pc after Unilever said it had been hit by rising inflation costs.
Asked if Unilever was a woke business, Mr Jope said: "We're not, we're driven by purpose. It [purpose] drives a stronger business performance."
He wanted to "double underscore Unilever's ongoing commitment to Israel", where it has invested heavily over the years.
The independent board of Ben & Jerry's independent board was behind the boycott, Mr Jope said, and that Unilever respected their decision in line with the acquisition agreement it signed 20 years ago.
The ice-cream company’s founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, started their business in a Vermont petrol station in 1978 and six years later set up the Ben & Jerry's Foundation before selling to Unilever in 2000.
Mr Jope said: "In the same way that Ben & Jerry’s have campaigned on issues of social justice, refugee rights and climate justice, I think the majority of our brands’ purpose-related initiatives are linked to universal human truths and it’s the nature of what our brands do."https://finance.yahoo.com/news/were-not-woke-says-unilever-122643809.html
« Last Edit: July 22, 2021, 02:32:50 pm by IsailedawayfromFR »
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No punishment, in my opinion, is too great, for the man who can build his greatness upon his country's ruin~ George Washington