Following Revelations Of Forced Monkey Labor On Thai Plantations, Walmart Stops Selling Chaokoh Coconut Milk

Following reports of monkey labor at coconut farms in Thailand, Walmart has severed its relationship with Chaokoh, a supplier of coconut milk, flour and other products commonly sold in the U.S. and elsewhere.

An investigation by PETA in 2019 first brought attention to the use of captive crab-eating macaques to climb up trees and pick coconuts. Since then, the animal rights organization has pressured a variety of international brands including Kroger, Albertson’s and Walmart to stop sourcing from farms that use monkeys.

According to PETA’s report, the monkeys at Thai coconut plantations are “forced to perform frustrating and difficult tasks, such as twisting heavy coconuts until they fall off the trees from a great height,” and also used to “perform… demeaning tricks” such as “shooting basketballs.”

Selling coconut milk brands that abuse monkeys is unacceptable, @Walmart.#Chaokoh is linked to the capture of thousands of monkeys chained & forced to pick coconuts until they go mad--but you still carry its products.

Stop supporting monkey labor! https://t.co/Os3AJtwuSk pic.twitter.com/gVp49uLN1q

— PETA (@peta) December 30, 2020

PETA alleges that the Thai government has turned a blind eye to the exploitation of monkeys, choosing not to interfere in the highly profitable coconut trade and lying about inspections of coconut plantations. The animal rights organization has staged protests outside Thai embassies where people dress as monkeys in prison outfits.

Members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) put on striped prison suits as they protest outside the Royal Thai Embassy in Makati City on Wednesday. The group calls on the ambassador to end the use of monkey labor in Thailand's coconut industry. pic.twitter.com/YDNqd2nmke

— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) November 25, 2020

PETA has produced a variety of illustrations and memes protesting the treatment of the monkeys, which have found a wide audience on Twitter over the past year.

Companies like Target</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/kroger?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">kroger have already stopped selling #Chaokoh, a coconut milk brand that uses forced monkey labor.

Tell @Walmart to join! https://t.co/tPd0uZ7NrI #NationalCoconutDay pic.twitter.com/iAPG8geC3K

— PETA (@peta) June 26, 2021

Almost 100,000 monkey rights supporters have signed PETA’s petition calling for American brands to stop buying coconut products grown in Thailand.

I won’t shop @Walmart until #Walmart reconsiders its relationship with brands that use forced monkey labor. #AnimalRights #ethics #justice pic.twitter.com/duWp6r4ksZ

— Méryl Pinque Ⓥ 🌱🐾🕊 🇺🇦 (@MerylPinque) February 2, 2021

Hey @Walmart please reconsider your company’s ties to coconut milk brand Chaokoh. Retailers such as Albertsons, Costco, and Target have already dropped the brand because it relies on forced monkey labor. Please stop subsidizing animal abuse, thank you pic.twitter.com/8Cei62TCKr

— Megan GLORY TO UKRAINE Coffey ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏼🇺🇦 (@meganfcoffey) April 13, 2021

Tweet @Walmart and tell them to cut ties with brands that use forced monkey labor! pic.twitter.com/zhKrtPhgki

— PETA (@peta) May 23, 2021

Other brands like Target and Costco have already committed to banning monkey-made coconut products as more retailers take notice of the growing controversy.

“Forced monkey labor” pic.twitter.com/eDpoZbm0gM

— Sophia Narwitz (@SophNar0747) October 28, 2020

Another chain has stopped selling monkey-labor-made brand #Chaokoh coconut milk!

Thank you, @raleys for doing the right thing.

Urge other supermarkets to follow suit: https://t.co/cW1RHUbqVy pic.twitter.com/AM08yt1K7s

— PETA (@peta) May 12, 2021

Some online joked about the monkey labor situation, with several making fun of PETA and the corporate world for taking action of forced monkey labor while disregarding actual human-forced labor.

Even monkeys have to work in this Biden economy https://t.co/YNAekStn8j

— Israel Unit 81 (@Israelunit81) June 8, 2022

Let me get this straight.

Walmart doesn't care about slave humans in China making their products but how dare they have slave monkeys to get the Coconuts.

The world is totally effing insane right now.https://t.co/0JRXAyVCQw

— Don Sawyer (@DonSawyer613) June 7, 2022

Macaques have long had a complicated relationship with humans. In Thailand, they are notorious for stealing things and then trading them back in return for food. Online, macaques have been prominently memed in formats like IKEA Monkey and Monkey Haircut. Macaques are also the kind of monkey Elon Musk uses to test out his Neuralink chip technology.

The animals seem to be both celebrated and feared in Thailand, and now that Walmart has discontinued the sale of offending coconut products, many consumers are reassured that their choices are helping and not harming the monkeys.

An angry monkey appeared out of nowhere and chased fitness influencer Max Wyatt away as he worked out at an outdoor fitness park in Thailand.

In response, Wyatt said, ‘Making eye contact with a monkey mid-set is a dangerous game.' pic.twitter.com/uPZZmHImqN

— NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 6, 2022

WATCH: Hundreds of macaques climbed on people and stacks of fruit, munching away on bananas and pineapples during the monkey festival in Thailand pic.twitter.com/vj5riEuIQ7

— Reuters (@Reuters) December 5, 2021