Unilever, one of the world's biggest multinationals, has given millions of dollars through its Ben & Jerry's subsidiary to anti-globalisation protest groups and critics of corporate greed.
Activist organisations such as Global Exchange and the Ruckus Society, which trained and organised demonstrators who shut down the meeting of the World Trade Organisation in Seattle in 1999, have received Unilever funds.
The company, which sells a range of goods from Lipton tea to Dove soap in 150 countries, has made $5m available to progressive initiatives via Ben & Jerry's, the ice-cream company famous for its social conscience.
Unilever gave the money to Ben & Jerry's Foundation when it bought the company last year. The ice-cream company's charitable arm has distributed the funds.
The Unilever donations have emerged from a Financial Times investigation into the funding of counter-capitalist groups.
Although the funds available to anti-globalisation activists are still paltry by comparison with the public relations and advertising budgets of free-trade think-tanks and multinational companies, the FT report shows that over the last year a web of business people, wealthy individuals and institutions has given financial support to protest groups.
When Unilever was courting Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield last year, the Anglo-Dutch group was pressed to offer a little more to the inventors of the Cherry Garcia and Phish Food ice cream brands to secure the $326m acquisition.
Unilever agreed to contribute $5m to Ben & Jerry's Foundation, another $5m to a venture capital fund for ethical start-ups and a minimum of $1.1m a year to grants for social change groups.
The Ben & Jerry's Foundation has given $100,000 to the Ruckus Society, which trains activists in hanging banners, tree-sits and street protests.
John Sellers, Ruckus director, said at the beginning of last month: "It is great that it is Unilever money. There is no better way to launder multinational largesse than giving it to the movement that is confronting it."
Executives at the company were aware when they agreed to set aside the funds for the Ben & Jerry's Foundation that the money was likely to go to anti-globalisation causes. But executives at Unilever said it was felt the money could not be donated with restrictions barring support for anti-globalisation groups.