After visiting organic food leader Edward & Sons Trading Company’s organic coconut supplier in Thailand, and conducting an extensive audit, the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has officially verified that the Native Forest and Let's Do Organic brands are “monkey labor-free following PETA investigations."
In October 2024, PETA issued an updated Shoppers Guide to educate consumers about this important issue and to identify brands that have been verified as monkey labor-free.
Among a small number of coconut milk brands that PETA’s investigations identified as monkey labor-free are Edward & Sons’ Native Forest brand of organic coconut milk products, and its Let’s Do Organic line of organic coconut products.
Soaring worldwide consumer demand for food products made from coconuts – including coconut water, coconut milk and plant-based coconut yogurt, among others – led to focused attention on a 2022 PETA exposé about the shocking abuse of monkeys by some Thai farmers, who use enslaved, forced monkey labor to harvest their coconuts.
