Ben & Jerry’s

How ethical is Ben & Jerry’s?

Ben & Jerry’s is an Ice Cream brand which has a below-benchmark score on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Ice Cream Ratings Table. Although Ben & Jerry’s has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Ice Cream sector and see how other brands score in our Ethical Ice Cream Ratings Table.

What does Ben & Jerry’s do?

Ben & Jerry’s is an ice cream brand which was started in 1978 in Vermont, US after its founders completed a $5 correspondence course in ice cream making. It is now owned by Unilever.

In which areas does Ben & Jerry’s perform poorly?

Despite Ben & Jerry’s progress, there is still room for improvement. Ben & Jerry’s was marked down under our criteria for Organic due to a lack of certification. It was also marked down for GMOs as its parent company, Unilever, believes that GM ingredients are safe to use. Unilever also states that it does use Animal Testing where required by law.

Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

In which areas does Ben & Jerry’s score well for its ethics?

Ben & Jerry’s parent company, Unilever, has an Annual Report and Accounts, which contains a wide range of environmental targets across different areas giving them a good score for Environmental Report.

Ben & Jerry’s scores well for Fossil Fuels and Armaments due to a lack of criticisms across these criteria. It also has certified Vegetarian and Vegan products.

How can Ben & Jerry’s improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Ben & Jerry’s is awarded with on The GOOD Shopping Guide’s Ethical Ice Cream Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Ben & Jerry’s has some issues to resolve, including its lack of certification for Organic products.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The GOOD Shopping Guide can display our Ethical Mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to attain Ethical Accreditation, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.