PETA Finds Forced Monkey Labour Rife in Thai Agriculture
The use of forced monkey labour in Thailand's coconut industry has prompted major retailers to cut ties with implicated suppliers following exposés by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Investigations spanning six years have uncovered widespread exploitation of pig-tailed macaques — an endangered species — which has led to a growing boycott of Thai coconut products.
Widespread abuse uncovered
PETA Asia's investigations have implicated coconut farms, brokers and monkey-training operations in nine Thai provinces, including key coconut-producing regions.
Footage from these investigations reveals young monkeys chained and tethered, forced to scale trees to collect coconuts.
"Monkeys were denied comfort and adequate socialisation and paced neurotically, repeatedly choking on their collars," the organisation reports.
The investigations also expose monkey ‘training schools’ where baby macaques were caged in squalid conditions and subjected to forced training.
Many suffered from open wounds caused by their chains.
These schools, promoted to tourists on Thai government websites, were found to use adult monkeys who had been conditioned into compliance through years of abuse.
Retailers respond to mounting pressure
As evidence of forced monkey labour mounts, several international retailers have taken action.
UK supermarket chain Morrisons is the latest to announce it will no longer source its own-brand coconut milk from implicated Thai suppliers.
Instead, it will obtain its stock from a producer verified as free from monkey labour.
Morrisons follows in the footsteps of other major retailers, including Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Aldi, Asda and Co-op, all of which have ceased sourcing their own-brand coconut milk from Thailand.
In total, nearly 40,000 stores worldwide have removed brands linked to the exploitative practice from their shelves.
Despite these measures, PETA is calling for further action.
"PETA is calling on retailers to check all supply chains and stop selling any Thai coconut milk products linked to this exploitative industry," says Dawn Carr, PETA’s Vice President of Vegan Corporate Projects.
The organisation has urged Morrisons to extend its policy to all externally branded coconut milk products.
A call for industry reform
While retailers distance themselves from unethical suppliers, the Thai government has been criticised for its inaction.
PETA has repeatedly reported its findings to authorities, yet no meaningful steps have been taken to outlaw monkey labour.
"The Thai government must immediately shut down abusive monkey 'schools' and ban monkey labour," Dawn says.
PETA has identified multiple companies implicated in the use of forced monkey labour, including major producers such as AB World Foods, Ampawa and Theppadungporn Coconut Co..
Well-known brands linked to these suppliers include Aroy-D, Blue Dragon and Chaokoh.
Only one Thai company, Merit Food Products, has been verified as entirely free of monkey labour.
PETA urges retailers to work with verified ethical suppliers or seek alternative sources outside of Thailand.
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