More than 15,000 stores have pledged to no longer sell coconut milk brands Aroy-D or Chaokoh after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals AKA PETA published their investigation.
The PETA investigation showed that the Asian suppliers to the two brands were using cruel practices involving monkeys enslaved to pick coconuts.
9,277 Walgreens, 250 Duane Reade stores in the United States, 2,758 Boots stores (a Walgreens company) in the United Kingdom, and Thailand have all dropped the coconut milk brands in the face of PETA’s new investigation.
Cost Plus World Market will ban coconut products from Chaokoh from its 276 stores nationwide, as well as from its online platform.
Retail group Ahold Delhaize will no longer sell coconut products sourced from suppliers that use monkey labor at its 2,000 stores and distribution centers in the US (including Giant Food, Food Lion, Stop & Shop, and Hannaford), as well as its 889 Albert Heijn stores in the Netherlands.
The overwhelming majority of stores that once carried Aroy-D and Chaokoh coconut milks have committed publicly to not purchasing those products or any other products made with coconuts harvested from Thailand where the money slave labor is the most prevalent.
The PETA Asia undercover investigations involved visiting four different so-called “monkey schools” where monkeys are cruelly trained using fear, pain, and starvation.
They also visited eight farms and a competition to see who’s monkey could pick the most coconuts.
The investigation led to the unbelievable revelation that chained up monkeys who were likely stolen from their mothers as children were enslaved and forced to pick coconuts day in and day out for global distribution.
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According to the PETA Asia investigators when the enslaved monkeys were not picking coconuts endlessly they were kept chained up to old tires or locked up in tiny cages they could barely move in.
Many of the monkeys showed signs of psychological issues and other distress from the ordeal they have gone through.
If the monkeys lashed out and bit their kidnappers they would have their canine teeth removed without anesthetic or other veterinary care.
“These curious, highly intelligent animals are denied mental stimulation, companionship, freedom, and everything else that would make their lives worth living, all so that they can be used to pick coconuts,” said Ingrid Newkirk PETA’s President.
“PETA believes virtually all coconuts from Thailand are picked by abused monkeys and is calling on kind people to buy coconut products that are sourced elsewhere.” She continued
Using monkey slave labor is not typical of the industry as most companies use a dwarf species of coconut trees that are closer to the ground and easier to harvest for humans.
Harmless Harvest was confirmed by PETA to not use monkeys in the harvest of their coconuts if you are looking for a guaranteed cruelty-free brand.
Other monkey free sources of coconuts are Hawaii, Colombia, and Brazil where they use humane methods involving humans to harvest their coconuts.
PETA Asia is calling on coconut suppliers throughout Thailand to provide evidence that they are not involved in the cruel slave labor of monkeys.
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