Drew Bissell
COR-230
Ethics and the Environment
12/04/13
PAEP Individual Reflective Analysis
Environmental Ice Creamers 4 Life
May 5, 1978 marked the opening day for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont. Founded by Ben Cohen and Jerry
Greenfield, the two began their lives as best friends and eventual business partners in junior high school and after hard times in college,
they took an ice cream making course from Penn State University and combined all the money they had together and began business using
an old-fashioned ice cream freezer. And with the expansion of their business came their involvement in environmental clean-up,
community strengthening, and many charity organizations. Which only made them a more favorable business to work with. (Our
History).
“To reduce our greenhouse gas emissions to respond to the challenge of climate change, which is real, which, in our opinion, humans
are clearly creating, and which isn’t going away anytime soon. In our Vermont manufacturing plants, we have invested aggressively in
energy-efficient technology from cooling systems to lighting to water and waste management systems.” (SEAR 2010). Ben & Jerry’s is
very aware of the effect we as humans have brought to this world. They do everything they can to reduce their footprint (or hoofprint as
Ben & Jerry’s would say) that all business leaves in the environment because they believe things are only getting worse because of us, so
they want to change that. Technology they use, like the ‘Cleaner Greener Freezers’ equipped in all Ben & Jerry’s facilities. These freezers
use hydrocarbon (essentially propane) which is significantly easier on electricity and a natural gas that pollutes the environment a lot less
than regular refrigerants. In December 201, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the petition for the commercial
use of hydrocarbon freezers in the U.S. (Cleaner Greener Freezer).
Ben & Jerry’s is Fairtrade certified. This policy is probably what Ben & Jerry’s values most about their company. “Fairtrade is
about making sure people get their far share of the pie. The whole concept of fair trade goes to the heart of our values and the sense of
right and wrong. Nobody wants to buy something that was made by exploiting somebody else.” Jerry Greenfield (Fairtrade). Fairtrade
is a global movement that ensures small farmers in developing countries their completion and sustainability in the global economy. When
you buy Fairtrade certified products, you are providing that farmer who grew the Fairtrade ingredients with a fair price for their harvest. In
return, Fairtrade farmers use environmentally safe farming practices, implement fair working conditions, and invest in their communities.
Fairtrade is a perfect model that helps to ensure the global economy is serving people, not the other way around. (Fairtrade Progress).
Another incredible policy they have is their stance and use of cage-free eggs for every and all of their products. Cage-free eggs are birds
raised with complete freedom within the facility and never put inside of an individual cage. Being raised this way allows the birds to be
brought up in the least stressful environment as possible with the most room possible. This in turn, allows the birds to grow in the most
realistic and natural way possible, even though it is still not the best way to raise them, but this method is the most sufficient way for us
Takers to raise birds while still keeping them comfortable and relaxed so they can grow their own way. Although this may not make the
fattest birds, it makes the healthiest, both the bird and the product. Certified Humane cage-free standards ensure that laying hens have
wholesome, nutritious food, access to clean water, and adequate space to engage in normal behaviors, among other criteria crafted by
veterinary professionals. (Cage-free Eggs).
Ben & Jerry’s ethics are practically flawless. “We have a progressive, nonpartisan social mission that seeks to meet human needs
and eliminate injustices in our local, national and international communities by integrating these concerns into our day-to-day business
activities. Our focus is on children and families, the environment and sustainable agriculture on family farms.” (Ben & Jerry’s Mission
Statement). They want to create a much more economically friendly environment with new opportunities for those who have been denied
them and to implement new models of economic justice that are sustainable and reproducible. “The growing of food is overly reliant on
the use of toxic chemicals and other methods that are unsustainable. We support sustainable and safe methods of food production that
reduce environmental degradation, maintain the productivity of the land over time, and support the economic viability of family farms and
rural communities.” (Ben & Jerry’s Mission Statement). They will show a deep respect for human beings inside and outside their
company and for the communities in which they live. Along with all of that, Ben & Jerry’s is working towards having the least negative
impact on the environment as possible. But what hits it out of the park is their involvement in trying to achieve more nonviolent ways to
find peace and justice in humanity. “We believe government resources are more productively used in meeting human needs than in
building and maintaining weapons systems.” (Ben & Jerry’s Mission Statement).
Something that is definitely worth pointing out about Ben & Jerry’s are their mission statements. The three they have are their social
mission, product mission, and their economic mission. Their social mission states that: “To operate the Company in a way that actively
recognizes the central role that business plays in society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life locally, nationally and
internationally.” Their product mission states that: “To make, distribute and sell the finest quality all natural ice cream and euphoric
concoctions with a continued commitment to incorporating wholesome, natural ingredients and promoting business practices that respect
the Earth and the Environment.” Their economic mission states that: To operate the Company on a sustainable financial basis of
profitable growth, increasing value for our stakeholders and expanding opportunities for development and career growth for our
employees.” Behind the missions of Ben & Jerry’s is the fulfillment they seek in new and creative ways to address all three parts while
holding a deep respect for individuals in and outside the company and for the communities they are a part of. (Mission Statement).
Ben & Jerry’s has progressed tremendously over the years. From the years 2005-2007 were what I believe to be some of their most
significant years in progression for the environment. In 2005, Ben & Jerry’s protested the proposed oil drilling in Alaska by teaming up
with the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and making a 900 pound Baked Alaska from Fossil Fuel ice cream. They lit the giant dessert on
fire as required by the recipe and served in to the community all taking place on the lawn of the US Capital building with the help of
Greenpeace and the Alaska Wilderness League. (Timeline: Drilling is Not the Answer). In 2006, “Ben & Jerry's continues to support
Fair Trade adding Vanilla and Chocolate to the line up of Coffee, Coffee Coffee BuzzBuzzBuzz. Fair Trade certification guarantee's that
the farmers who grow the vanilla, cocoa and coffee beans get a fair price for their harvest, enabling them to reinvest in their land and
communities.” (Timeline: Fairtrade Upgrade). In 2007, they introduced the “Truth or CLONE-sequence.” “When the U.S. Food & Drug
Administration declared that it believed meat and milk from cloned animals was safe to eat, we were beside ourselves, twice over! To
show our disappointment with the FDA's decision – and to urge Americans to speak out against cloning – we send a determined herd of
cow-costumed folks to Washington, D.C. for a ‘Truth or Clone-sequences’ demonstration.” (Timeline: Truth or CLONE-sequences).
When this project started, I was less than pleased I had to go out of my way to do a project for school. Once we separated into our
groups, my group almost immediately decided on Ben & Jerry’s and I became a little bit more enthusiastic for this project because what
could be more fun than going to an ice cream factory? Then came the hard part, getting to the factory and touring it. There wasn’t any day
at the time that would of worked for our entire group to go take the tour, so three of the four of us went out there to take the tour. That’s
when things got terrible. I had to go home later that day so we were short on time as is, but the tour we tried to make was starting once we
arrived and they wouldn’t let us join in, and the next one didn’t start for another forty-five minutes or so. So in the end, we didn’t get the
tour we went for, instead we did something better and took our own tour and did our own research. Next came our group meetings where
we discussed and created everything, from drafts to finals and the imagining to the poster. We met at least three times but definitely more
than I can count. I was home the day the rest of the group created the final poster for printing but I still got to take a look at it and give my
input before the printing occurred.
In the end, this project ended up being better than I anticipated. I had a very good time making the trip out to the facility with my
group members, doing our own thing. I had fun learning about Ben & Jerry’s and how they manage and operate their company and views
on the world and its issues. I went to an agricultural high school myself, majoring in Plant Science but I still had many classes in the
Animal Science and Environmental Science majors so I really do appreciate what they do for the environment because I am a bit of a
crunch-head myself. I am also extremely appreciative for their efforts towards the community, world peace, equality for all humans, and
even their support for freedom of marriage. It’s not very often that one finds a company that cares so much about this planet from the
inside out on all levels. It is the kind of company I would want to work for because they have the same views and stances on almost
everything I do, but they are the only one doing something about it. I want to do something about it too. This is the kind of company I
want to see take over the world, because Google doesn’t have the first concern about the world, they only care about money and power.
How much power does Ben & Jerry’s have? And how much money do they have compared the Google? Most likely an extraordinary
difference in both cases. And that is what makes them such an important business that really can and will make a difference for this
world, and that is something we need, because we have gone too far down the wrong path.
After complete and UTTER disappointment from missing the only tours we could get to and long, brutal hours of many group meets,
we finally finished our group poster and got it printed. The challenges faced were challenging to say the least, but we wanted to make it
look as professional as possible and keep our presentation conversation oriented so the class doesn’t get lost in another show and tell.
And now I present to you, the Environmental Ice Creamers 4 Life!
Works Cited
"Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream." Ben & Jerry's. Paramount Pictures, 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
