Publix is now among more than 33,000 stores—including those owned by chains Albertsons, Wegmans, Target, Food Lion, and Stop & Shop—that have cut ties with coconut milk brands that use coconuts picked by monkeys.
[Read more at Did an abused monkey pick your coconut?]
After undercover investigations revealed the use of chained and
caged monkeys in Thailand’s coconut-picking industry, Florida-based
grocery chain Publix, with more than 1,200 stores across the
Southern and Mid-Atlantic regions, has ended the sale of coconut
milk from major producer Chaokoh. The decision follows a vigorous
campaign by PETA, which included billboards and “monkeys” dumping
coconuts in front of Publix’s corporate office and its CEO’s home
and outside stores.
“A life as a chained-up coconut-picking machine is no life at all
for a monkey, who needs to play, eat, and explore with family
members,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “Since
PETA exposés have confirmed cover-ups of cruelty on coconut farms,
no company with a conscience can keep supporting Chaokoh, and Publix
should be commended for taking action to help monkeys.”
PETA Asia’s first investigation found cruelty to monkeys on every
farm, at every monkey-training facility, and in every
coconut-picking contest that used monkey labor. 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. After a global
outcry, the coconut industry claimed to have changed this
practice—but PETA Asia’s second investigation found producers still
using monkey labor and industry insiders discussing how farms
conceal this practice by simply hiding monkeys until auditors leave
or by hiring contractors to bring in monkeys only during harvest
time.
Publix is now among more than 33,000 stores—including those owned by
chains Albertsons, Wegmans, Target, Food Lion, and Stop & Shop—that
have cut ties with coconut milk brands that use coconuts picked by
monkeys. PETA is now turning its attention to other retailers that
still do business with Chaokoh, including Walmart and 99 Ranch
Market.