TRENOS SiGINT: Monkey Labour in the Coconut Supply Chain

Analyst : Scott Mathias – December 2025

Signal:

Forced monkey labour remains one of the most persistent and under-regulated practices in global agriculture. Foodfacts documents how macaques are illegally taken from the wild, trained through fear, and used to harvest coconuts at scale, often outperforming human workers, which is precisely why the practice survives.

Human Factor

Consumers aren’t choosing cruelty, they’re inheriting it through silence. Most shoppers assume “ethical”, “Fair Trade”, or “sustainably sourced” means no harm to people or animals. The reality is harsher as animal labour simply isn’t part of most ethical audits. That omission turns well-meaning purchases into accidental complicity.

TRENOS Metrics Snapshot

Field	Detail
Signal	Forced monkey labour in Thai coconut harvesting
Data Point	Thousands of macaques reportedly still used
TikTok Views	High (animal welfare exposés drive viral reach)
Retail Footprint	Global (UK, EU, US, ANZ exposure)
Ingredient Format	Coconut milk, cream, water, desiccated coconut
Product Range	Pantry staples, beverages, ready meals
Consumer Segment	Mainstream, health-focused, plant-based
Brand Origin	Thailand (specific suppliers)
Export Status	High export dependency
Trend Classification	Ethical backlash / supply-chain risk
System Pressure Point	Certification credibility
Momentum	Slow reform, rising scrutiny
Sentiment	Negative once exposed
Where Signal Is Loudest	UK, EU, animal-welfare communities
Related Links	Foodfacts.org, PETA investigations

Brands Investigated by PETA (Thai Coconut Supply Chains)

Based on PETA Asia investigations referenced by Foodfacts and ongoing campaign material, the following brands have been linked historically or directly to coconut supply chains using monkey labour in Thailand:

• Chaokoh (Theppadungporn Coconut Co.)

• Aroy-D

• Suree

• Thai Kitchen

• Simply Asia

Retailers in multiple countries have since delisted or restricted these brands, though availability and enforcement vary by market. Importantly, implication does not equal ongoing practice, but transparency remains inconsistent, which is precisely the problem.

Where Fair Trade Falls Short

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Fair Trade certification does not currently prohibit animal labour.

• Fair Trade frameworks prioritise human wages, working conditions, and community development.

• Animal welfare, especially forced animal labour, is largely absent from certification criteria.

• This allows products to appear ethical while animals remain invisible in the audit process.

In short, Fair Trade protects farmers, but not macaques.

That omission creates a loophole big enough for an entire industry to walk through, unchecked.

Long Play Analysis - Monkey Labour in the Coconut Supply Chain

The coconut industry is approaching a reckoning. As consumers demand cleaner labels and ethical clarity, stories like monkey labour don’t just damage brands, they destabilise trust in certification itself. When “ethical” fails to mean humane, the label starts to lose credibility across the board.

There’s also a geographic solution hiding in plain sight. Coconut-producing countries such as Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and India do not use monkey labour and rely on human harvesting or mechanisation. Brands sourcing from these regions already prove cruelty-free coconut is commercially viable.

The next phase is inevitable. Either certification bodies evolve to include animal labour protections, or consumers will increasingly bypass labels altogether, choosing transparency over promises. In the coconut wars of 2026, silence is no longer neutral. It’s a liability.

Primary Source

Foodfacts.org — “Forced Monkey Labour on Coconut Farms: What You Need to Know and How to Shop Ethically” (Dec 2025)

PFN NEWS LINK

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