HelloFresh uses coconut milk obtained from monkey labor in Thailand, claims People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which is calling for a boycott of the meal delivery service.
An investigation by PETA Asia alleged that monkeys are chained, flogged, beaten and forced to spend hours picking coconuts. Allegations of animal abuse have been filed against 57 operations in nine provinces in Thailand, according to the the findings Released on Monday.
In a statement to CBS MoneyWatch, HelloFresh said the company receives written assurances from its suppliers that the coconuts are not purchased using monkeys.
HelloFresh strongly condemns any use of monkey labor in their supply chain, and we take a strict stance not to buy from suppliers or sell coconut products that have been found to use monkey labor. these practices.”
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Mediators for HelloFresh’s coconut milk suppliers have shown monkeys chained to littered patches of dirt and tire-soaked areas as their only shelter, according to the animal rights group, which posted photos from its investigation as well as a video. screenshots.
Most monkeys are kidnapped from their families in nature, although the species exploited by the coconut trade are threatened or endangered, according to the animal welfare group.
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“Monkeys are chained around the neck and forced to toil day in and day out, all for the benefit of HelloFresh and other unscrupulous companies,” PETA executive vice president Tracy Reimann said Monday in an emailed statement. “PETA is calling on everyone, including HelloFresh, to stop buying canned coconut milk from Thailand until money stops being used and abused for profit.”
The Berlin-based company has a global reach, operating in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US
The company had 7.5 million active customers in the third quarter, a three-month period in which the company generated revenue of more than $1.9 billion, He said Last month.
PETA has for years urged companies and people not to buy any canned coconut milk products manufactured in Thailand due to allegations of abuse. The group in 2020 obtained such a commitment from US grocery brands including Walgreens and Stop & Shop.
After the results of a previous PETA investigation were published in 2019, the Thai government offered affirmations Monkeys are no longer forced to pick coconuts. Among the largest exporters of coconuts, Thailand in 2019 exported $396 million worth of coconut milk, according to Reuters.
The Wildlife Friends Foundation in Thailand has long advocated the practice of using monkeys to pick coconuts, and routinely rescues what it calls “abusive coconut monkeys.” In May, the group described How a macaque was driven to survive on its own after it was no longer useful for picking fruit.
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