Is Coconut Milk Ethical? What To Know About Monkey Exploitation

Coconut milk is a popular dairy milk alternative, health food, and skincare product. However, some brands have been using captive monkeys to harvest their coconuts, as revealed by investigations by PETA Asia in Thailand. These monkeys are captured from the wild, trained using cruel methods, and subjected to abuse and neglect while picking coconuts. Some companies using coconut milk from Thailand have been implicated in this exploitation, leading PETA to call for a boycott on all Thai coconut products.

In response to the investigations, retailers have started dropping suppliers using Thai coconut milk, such as Waitrose and Walmart. Some companies like Pacific Foods in the US and Koko Dairy Free in the UK have assured consumers that they do not use monkey labor for harvesting their coconuts. There are alternative methods like using tools, mechanical climbers, and drone assistance for coconut harvesting that can avoid animal exploitation and ensure ethical practices in the coconut industry.