Costco Drops Coconut Milk Products Over Allegations Of Forced Monkey Labor

In the last few months, Walgreens, Food Lion, Giant Food, and Stop & Shop halted coconut milk products from Thailand suppliers accused by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) of using monkeys as forced labor. 

“No kind shopper wants monkeys to be chained up and treated like coconut-picking machines,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a Thursday press release.

@H_Combs VICTORY! ❤️🐒 Costco has cut ties with coconut milk producer #Chaokoh after discussions with PETA & hearing from thousands of kind supporters!

Join us in continuing to speak out to other companies that still use forced monkey labor! https://t.co/OdVFzvugbJ pic.twitter.com/DM3cyKo0Mf

— PETA (@peta) October 29, 2020

Today’s PETA announcement shows another western retailer, that being Costco, will no longer carry coconut milk products from major Thailand-based coconut milk producer Chaokoh – until the company ends the use of chained monkeys to pick coconuts. 

Newkirk continued, “Costco made the right call to reject animal exploitation, and PETA is calling on holdouts like Kroger to follow suit.”

Readers may recall, in July, we noted PETA Asia’s investigation uncovered these chained monkeys, picking hundreds of coconuts each day. It was said Aroy-D and Chaokoh were some of the biggest Thai coconut players using monkeys. 

PETA Asia’s investigators released disturbing images of the coconut picking monkeys:

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PETA Asia’s investigators found many of these monkeys were tortured, saying:   

“When not being forced to pick coconuts or perform in circus-style shows for tourists, the animals were kept tethered, chained to old tires, or confined to cages barely larger than their bodies. Many displayed repetitive behavior indicative of extreme mental anguish, including one monkey who chewed on one of his own limbs. One coconut farmer confirmed that when monkeys are terrified and try to defend themselves, handlers may have their teeth pulled out.”

PETA noted Costco joins Walgreens, Food Lion, Giant Food, and Stop & Shop, all of whom have eliminated coconut milk brands that use forced monkey labor, noting their attention will now turn on “Kroger” who still sells products from Chaokoh.