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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
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Catherine Bennett

If Unilever truly wants ‘a world with more joy’, why is it filling Putin’s war chest?

Ben & Jerry's ice-cream
Ben & Jerry's ice-cream, a Unilever brand. Photograph: Hannah McKay/Reuters

So long as you are not Ukrainian, it is difficult to imagine a more caring and sensitive ally than the food, cosmetic and hygiene giant, Unilever. “We strive to do more good for our planet and our society,” its website tells everyone.

If you are poor, marginalised, old, young, unhappy, persecuted, fearful for the planet or just feeling ugly, the manufacturer of Marmite and Domestos, Cornetto and Hellmann’s mayonnaise, feels your pain. Though not the bloody, battlefield kind. “Stereotypes,” it warns, “are making Gen Z consumers feel unsafe on social media.”

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