News
HelloFresh drops Thai coconut milk due to monkey slave labor
By Michelle De Pacina
(AFP) Germany-based meal delivery company HelloFresh will stop selling coconut milk sourced from Thailand due to the country’s use of monkey slave labor.In November last year, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called for a worldwide boycott of Thai producers of coconut milk after an investigation found that monkeys in Thailand are chained, beaten and forced “to spend long hours climbing tall trees and picking heavy coconuts.”
The nonprofit organization also specifically called out HelloFresh and its coconut milk suppliers, Aroy-D and Suree, for engaging in the “rampant abuse” of monkey slave labor.
Following the eight-month long investigation, PETA launched a campaign against HelloFresh, which involved supporters sending nearly 100,000 emails to the company’s executives to push for change.The company recently announced that it would “cease purchasing and seek new suppliers” by this summer.
“We do not tolerate any form of animal abuse in our supply chain,” HelloFresh told Axios. “Out of an abundance of caution we will not be placing orders for coconut milk from Thailand.”
Furthermore, the company said it will ban all coconut milk exports from Thailand.
PETA Corporate Projects Manager Carys Bennett celebrated HelloFresh’s decision in a news release: “HelloFresh’s decision will help protect monkeys from being kidnapped, chained, and whipped in the coconut trade. By cutting ties with Thai coconut suppliers, leaders like HelloFresh are helping PETA push the industry away from using and abusing monkeys, who belong in nature with their families.”
According to Laura Shields, PETA’s director of corporate responsibility, they are pushing companies to source from other countries that produce coconut milk without the use of monkeys, such as the Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Dominican Republic.
PETA is now calling on Whole Foods and other retailers to follow HelloFresh’s lead. According to Axios, major retailers, including Walmart, Target and Costco, have also stopped selling coconut milk from certain Thai suppliers accused of monkey slave labor.
Thailand reportedly holds approximately 80% of the market share for coconut milk in the U.S.
According to export data provided by the Office of Agricultural Affairs at the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C., the country exported nearly 78,000 tons of coconut milk in 2020.
The Royal Thai Embassy has announced efforts by the Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand to prevent animal cruelty, including a “Monkey Free Plus” program.
“Both the Thai government and the industry are making sure that coconut milk exported from Thailand is not obtained from the use of monkey labor,” the embassy wrote in a statement to Axios.
The government, under heavy Opposition fire over inclusion of a sex website in the Grade 6 English module, as well as overall education reforms, has decided to put on hold reforms in respect of Grade 6.
Cabinet Spokesman and Media and Health Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa announced the government decision yesterday (13) at the post-Cabinet media briefing at the Information Department.
According to him, the decision had been taken at the previous day’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Dr. Jayatissa said that education reforms pertaining to Garde 6 had been put on hold until 2027.
The Minister said that other proposed education reforms would be implemented as planned. The Minister said that action would be taken against those responsible for the inclusion of a link to a sex website following investigations conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department and the National Education Institute.
The SJB and several other political parties, as well as civil society groups, have accused the government of promoting an LGBTQ agenda, through the proposed education reforms.
The Opposition grouping Mahajana Handa, on Monday, made representations to the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatta Chapter regarding the controversial reforms, while urging their intervention to halt the project.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (13) vowed to go ahead with his government’s agenda, regardless of the destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Emphasising the responsibility on the part of all to contribute to the post-Ditwah recovery efforts, President Dissanayake said that he would have complete faith in the public service.
The President said so at the launch of the re-building Sri Lanka project at the BMICH yesterday.
The JVP and NPP leader said that he wouldn’t take advantage of the death and destruction caused by the cyclone or use the situation as an excuse to reverse their agenda or weaken it.
President Dissanayake said that in spite of many calling for amending the then Budget, in view of the cyclone, the government presented the proposals that were agreed before the disaster struck.
The United States has announced that it will provide the Sri Lanka Air Force with 10 US Navy TH-57 helicopters free of charge.
The announcement was made by outgoing US Ambassador Julie Chung, who stated, on social media, that the helicopters would be transferred under the United States’ Excess Defence Articles programme. The aircraft are Bell 206 Sea Ranger helicopters previously operated by the US Navy.
US sources said that the transfer was intended to strengthen Sri Lanka’s disaster response capabilities, following the devastating cyclone that struck the island at the end of 2025 and killed more than 600 people. US officials have framed the move as a humanitarian measure aimed at improving aerial rescue and relief operations.
Showery condition over the island is expected to reduce from tomorrow (15th)
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Govt. bows to pressure, shelves Grade 6 reforms
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