Monkey business: Morrisons cuts ties with Thai coconut suppliers
British supermarket giant Morrisons declare it’s time to “make good things happen,” severing ties with Thai coconut producers linked to forced monkey labour.
Investigations by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) uncovered shocking abuses in Thailand’s coconut industry, revealing young monkeys chained and forced to climb trees to harvest coconuts. Despite PETA alerting the Thai government officials, no action has been taken to address these cruelties, the organisation claims.
In a decisive move, Morrisons announced it will now source its own-brand coconut milk from a company verified as free from monkey exploitation.
PETA is urging the retailer to extend this ethical policy to encompass all coconut milk products and cautions customers to avoid Thai coconut milk entirely due to the pervasive abuse within the industry.
PETA’s Vice President of Vegan Corporate Projects, Dawn Carr, commended Morrisons for choosing to avoid “cruelly obtained” coconut milk. She also called on the Thai government to shut down abusive monkey training “schools” and enforce a ban on forced monkey labour, reported ITV News.
Back in May 2024, PETA exposed the harsh realities at these training facilities. Endangered pig-tailed macaques were found tethered on ropes, confined to tiny cages, with their skins chafed raw.
These monkeys suffered from lack of comfort and socialisation, leading to neurotic behaviour and physical harm.
Over six years of investigation, PETA Asia implicated coconut pickers, brokers, and farms across nine Thai provinces, including major producers.
This revelation led nearly 40,000 stores globally, such as Sainsbury’s and Tesco, to stop selling brands associated with monkey labour. Aldi, Asda, and Co-op have similarly ceased sourcing their own-brand coconut milk from Thailand.
ITV News has reached out to Morrisons for comment as the supermarket reconfigures its supply chain to ensure cruelty-free products for its customers.
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