Did a Monkey Pick Your Coconuts?

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In some regions of the world, pig-tailed macaques are intentionally bred and trained – often with punishment – to harvest coconuts. The monkeys are always tethered to their “handler” and are not permitted to eat the coconuts they collect. No statistics exist detailing exactly how many monkeys are bred and used for this purpose. In an effort to help compassionate consumers make informed choices, Animal Place reached out to a number of companies that sell coconut oil or other products containing coconuts. This is not an exhaustive list and you can reach out to a company yourself and let us know if they respond. Our Approved! list includes companies that do not use monkeys and, also important, that engage in practices protecting the rights of human workers as well (e.g. fair trade, no child labor.) We will add to this list as we learn more information.

APPROVED! Companies That DO NOT Use Monkeys AND are Fair-Trade

These companies engage in ethical business practices, ensuring human workers are properly compensated for their work. They do not use monkeys or human children to harvest coconuts.



Amy & Brian

Daiya

3 Buddhas Coconut Water

Alaffia

Aunt Patty’s

Ayam

Artisana Organics

Better Body Foods

Big Tree Farms

Califia Farms

Carrington Farms

Coconut Bliss

COCO LUXE LIFE (Australia)

Coconut Magic (Australia)

Coconut Secret

Dr. Bronner’s

Earth Circle Organics

Earth Conscious

Harmless Harvest

La Tourangelle Artisan Oils

Maison Orphee

Naked Coconuts

Native Pacific “Banaban” (Queensland)

Nutiva

Ojio (Ultimate Superfoods)

Sanso-Boeki LLC (Japan)

So Delicious

Silk

Spectrum Organics

Trader Joe’s

Tropical Traditions

Vita Coco

Companies that responded but did not clarify whether monkeys were used:

Taste the Dream (Hain-Celestial) – stated that their products are fair-trade but did not clarify that only adult humans harvested coconuts.

Coconut Oil Supreme

Mercola

Blue Diamond

Companies that have not responded yet:

Better Body Foods

Native Forest

Nature’s Way

Thai Kitchen

Trident (Australia)

Bio Foods

Chaokoh

Coconut Beach

Harvest Bay

LouAna

Nature’s Bounty

Nature’s Charm

Safeway

Spiral Foods

Taste of Thai