‘Slave Monkey’ Scandal Forces Thailand to Rethink Coconut Trade
- PETA alleges monkeys are being abused to harvest coconuts
- Thailand to make coconut products traceable following pressure
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Thailand, the world’s top producer of coconut milk, said it will enable retailers and consumers to trace coconuts back to their source to show whether monkeys have been used for harvesting.
The $400 million industry, which relies on monkeys at some plantations, is facing possible boycotts in the U.S., Europe and Australia after the People of the Ethical Treatment of Animals, known as PETA, alleged that monkeys are being abused and “treated like coconut picking machines” for Thai growers and producers.