I started writing this blog because it was recently announced that the popular ice cream brand was going to name its newest flavor after political comedian Stephen Colbert. The newest flavor, Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream will feature vanilla ice cream with fudge covered pieces of waffle cone and swirls of caramel. Of the honor, Colbert says: “Dessert has a well-known liberal agenda. What I hope to do with this ice cream is bring some balance back to the freezer case.” (In case you’re not a Colbert fan. . .yes, that was wry humor dripping in sarcasm. . .we think.)
Ben & Jerry’s is not new to naming their flavors unique names. What I didn’t know until I started writing is that Ben & Jerry’s takes a strong stand on many issues, particularly those that affect our environment. They put their money where there mouth is and make clear on their website that they believe that they can use their business decisions to affect social change.
Here are a few examples:
The next time you’re in the grocery store go look at a pint of the flavor Phish Food. This ice cream is named after a band in Vermont who donates a portion of their proceeds to the Waterwheel Foundation. The Waterwheel Foundation raises funds to keep Lake Champlain clean.
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream uses what’s called values led sourcing. Rather than buying ingredients from the lowest bidder like most businesses, they buy ingredients from other businesses with a purpose. One example is Greyston Bakery which provides over two million pounds of brownies per year for Ben & Jerry’s flavors. They are an organization that takes people who would otherwise be unemployed and gives them employment. Their parent organization, The Greyston Foundation, provides child care, housing, health care, job training, a computer learning center and more for low-income people in southwest Yonkers, New York.
Take a look around their website and you’ll see links for social action, links against cloned food or just about any other cause they deem worthy. Ben & Jerry’s is definitely some of the tastier ice cream in the freezer aisle but now you know that the extra pennies you’re paying go towards many, many worth causes.
Look soon for a blog on the award winning Greyston Bakery.
Related Articles:
How Hamburger Heaven Earned Our Business