Unilever, one of the world's biggest multinationals, has been giving financial support to anti-globalisation groups through its Ben & Jerry's ice-cream subsidiary, UK newspaper The Guardian reports this week. The donations were reportedly made by the Ben & Jerry's Foundation into which Unilever ploughed $5m (5.53 million euros) under the terms of its controversial takeover last year. The takeover prompted protests throughout the US. Unilever, which referred inquiries to Ben and Jerry's headquarters in Vermont yesterday, also gave $5m(5.53million euros) to a venture capital fund set up by Ben Cohen, who founded the company in 1978 with Jerry Greenfield. The Anglo-Dutch food company is committed to giving 7.5 per cent of Ben & Jerry's profits to the foundation. The foundation - whose policies are not determined by Ben & Jerry's - gave $100,000 to the Ruckus Foundation which trains demonstrators on protesting strategies, according to the research by the Financial Times. The foundation was set up in 1985 and makes no secret of its backing for organisations that support systemic social change, while insisting it "doesn't prioritise any particular issue for funding". A Ben & Jerry's spokeswoman said: "The foundation is separate from Ben & Jerry's Inc. It's a long-time foundation and in the merger Unilever affirmed our commitment to progressive social policy."
