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Unilever's divestment of Ben and Jerry's could bring NC retirement plan investment in the UK company back into play

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published March 22, 2024 at 4:53 AM EDT
Consumer products giant Unilever, whose brands include Dove soaps and Lipton teas, is pledging to halve its use of non-recycled plastics by 2025. (Richard Drew/AP)
Richard Drew
/
AP
Unilever is giving the cold shoulder to the ice cream business that it started in 1922. The divestiture included the quirky Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, which was added to North Carolina’s list of companies banned from state investments, like the retirement plan, because of the ice cream maker’s boycott of Israel.

Unilever is giving the cold shoulder to the ice cream business that it started in 1922.

In a press release, the U.K.-based company said it has “decided that the separation best serves the future growth of both ice cream and Unilever.”

The divestiture included the quirky Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, which was added to North Carolina’s list of companies banned from state investments, like the retirement plan, because of the ice cream maker’s boycott of Israel.

State Treasurer Dale R. Folwell said he’ll take a look at the details of the separation to see if the move will make it possible for the state to invest with Unilever once again.

Folwell said “the devil is in the details” and he wants to be sure, “Unilever has fully separated itself from an antisemitic company like Ben & Jerry’s.”
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
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