British supermarket giant Morrisons has announced it will cut ties with Thai coconut producers linked to forced monkey labour, reinforcing its commitment to ethical sourcing.
Investigations by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) revealed disturbing practices in Thailand’s coconut industry, where young monkeys are chained and forced to climb trees to harvest coconuts. Despite PETA’s repeated alerts to Thai government officials, the organisation claims no action has been taken to stop these abuses.
In response, Morrisons has confirmed that its own-brand coconut milk will now be sourced exclusively from a company verified to be free of monkey exploitation. PETA’s Vice President of Vegan Corporate Projects, Dawn Carr, praised Morrisons for taking a stand against “cruelly obtained” coconut milk. She also urged the Thai government to shut down abusive monkey training facilities and implement a ban on forced monkey labour, as reported by ITV News.
PETA’s investigations, which began in May 2024, exposed appalling conditions at these training centres. Endangered pig-tailed macaques were found tethered with ropes, confined to tiny cages, and suffering from chafed, raw skin due to prolonged restraint. Deprived of comfort and social interaction, many exhibited signs of severe distress and self-harm.
Over six years, PETA Asia documented widespread abuses across nine Thai provinces, implicating coconut pickers, brokers, and farms, including major industry players. In response, PETA is calling on retailers to extend their ethical policies to cover all coconut milk products and is advising consumers to avoid Thai coconut milk entirely due to the prevalence of forced monkey labour.
This revelation has prompted nearly 40,000 stores worldwide, including major UK retailers like Sainsbury’s and Tesco, to drop brands associated with monkey exploitation. Aldi, Asda, and Co-op have also stopped 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 all products remain cruelty-free for its customers.
