The Macaques Who Carry Thailand’s Coconut Industry
Just because you’re not eating animals doesn’t mean your food doesn’t contribute to their exploitation
Two teenage boys meandered below a coconut grove in Sri Thanu, Koh Phangan, Thailand. Just past the local Buddhist temple, they worked on the property of a local man who bred chickens and owned a water buffalo named Salami.
As they worked, the boys held the end of a rope in their hands; the rope slung upward into the trees, along with their gaze. They were relaxed but alert, waiting for heavy coconuts to collide with the sandy ground.
Attached to each of their ropes was a monkey who was working furiously to retrieve coconuts and toss them down. When one of the animals would begin to goof off, ignoring a couple of calls from the boy who led them, they were yanked down by the rope around their neck and beaten with a bamboo pole. Only after the beating would the monkeys return to the tree, easily 80 feet tall.
According to Businesswire, Thailand’s coconut industry made up 16% of the world’s consumption of coconuts in 2018, equating to about a $5.69 billion business. During this time, the country also exported 70,000 tons of coconuts in the form of oil and flesh.
