Ben & Jerry's Sells Its Distinctive Ice Cream All Around the World

Although Ben & Jerry’s ice cream isn't sold in East Jerusalem and the West Bank anymore, it will still available in over 35 other countries.

Danielle Letenyei - Author
By

Mar. 7 2023, Updated 9:50 a.m. ET

Ben & Jerry's ice cream
Source: Twitter (@benandjerrys)

Ben & Jerry's ice cream

Although the creamy and flavorful Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is no longer being sold in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, consumers in over 35 countries across the globe can still purchase it. While Ben & Jerry's has become a staple in many freezers across the U.S., it's also a popular choice for shoppers elsewhere too.

What countries sell Ben & Jerry's ice cream aside from the U.S.?

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Ben & Jerry's announced on July 19, 2021, that it had ended its longstanding partnership with a licensee that manufactures Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in Israel and distributes it to the occupied territories. Despite this, the ice cream maker is still available in grocery stories around the globe.

Find out which countries sell Ben & Jerry's and which don't. We have details on why the frozen treat maker is so political.

Ben & Jerry's ice cream
Source: Ben & Jerry's Twitter

Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavors

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Is Ben & Jerry's still sold in Israel?

In response to the 2021 announcement, Israeli officials said there would be “severe consequences” for Ben & Jerry’s owner Unilever, Reuters reported. The CEO of Ben & Jerry’s Israel told Reuters that the action by Unilever came after he wasn't willing to stop selling to Israeli citizens living in settlements in the occupied territories.

Ben & Jerry’s has a manufacturing facility and two scoop shops located south of Tel Aviv, just outside the occupied territories. The Israel production facility is one of four that Ben & Jerry’s has in the world. The company also operates two production locations in its home state of Vermont and one in the Netherlands.

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What countries sell Ben & Jerry’s ice cream?

Pulling sales from East Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement in the West Bank didn't have a major impact on Ben & Jerry’s sales. The ice cream is available in over 35 different countries, some of which include:

  • Australia
  • Thailand
  • Puerto Rico
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Mexico
  • France
  • Germany
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Denmark
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The OPT isn't the first place that the company has stopped sales. The ice cream was also previously pulled from the shelves in Russia and Hong Kong.

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Why is Ben & Jerry’s so political?

Founded in 1978 by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the Ben & Jerry’s brand was sold to British conglomerate Unilever in 2000. Since the beginning, the brand has often used its ice cream flavors as political statements.

In 2018, Ben & Jerry’s released the flavor “Pecan Resist” in opposition to former President Donald Trump. Another flavor, “Bernie’s Yearning” was released in 2016 to support Senator Bernie Sanders’s bid for president.

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Ben & Jerry's ice cream
Source: Ben & Jerry's Twitter

Ben & Jerry's ice cream

As stated on its website, Ben & Jerry’s mission is to “use ice cream to change the world.”

“Guided by our Core Values, we seek in all we do, at every level of our business, to advance human rights and dignity, support social and economic justice for historically marginalized communities, and protect and restore the Earth's natural systems,” the website states.

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Why did people want Ben & Jerry’s to end operations in Israel?

Even as far back as 2012, fans of the brand have urged the company to end its ties with the Israel operations. The organization Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel (VTJP) has led the charge. However, the group didn't support Ben & Jerry’s announcement about ending sales in occupied Palestine. The action doesn’t go far enough, according to VTJP members.

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"By maintaining a presence in Israel, Ben & Jerry's continues to be complicit in the killing, imprisonment and dispossession of Palestinian people and the flaunting of international law. Israel destroys lives and property in the lands it occupies by force," said VTJP member Kathy Shapiro in a statement.

Two years after the Israel dilemma, Ben & Jerry's was criticized once again in March 2023 for reportedly allowing its supply chains to "utilize child migrant labor" that "violates child labor laws," according to a New York Times exposé. However, in a statement provided to Fox News Digital, the company said that it's “opposed to child labor” and has worked to ensure fair compensation and safety of farmworkers.

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