BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network): The government in Thailand is being urged to hire lobbyists in the United States and the European Union to counteract a campaign by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) calling on consumers in both markets to boycott Thai-produced coconut milk.
Peta says in its campaign that monkeys are used to harvest coconuts on Thai plantations, and are severely mistreated.
The campaign is continuing to affect exports of coconuts from Thailand, private sector sources said.
They say the Peta campaign is based on false information and are urging the government to hire lobbying firms to counteract the campaign, which shows videos and images of monkeys being chained, mistreated and allegedly trained to harvest coconuts on Thai plantations.
Peta’s campaign is leading to a decrease in consumer purchases and causing importers and traders in both the US and European markets to reduce purchases of Thai products, private sector sources say.
Thai coconut milk producers and exporters say they do not use monkeys in harvesting or production.
Newer coconut plantations use so-called “dwarf” coconut trees, which are shorter and do not need to be climbed to harvest coconuts.
Thailand supplies about 80 per cent of the coconut milk in the global market.
Previously, the government and private sector jointly issued “Monkey Free Plus” certificates to assure consumers that certified companies were not harming animals in their supply chains.
The campaign failed to resonate with those swayed by Peta’s videos and photos.
Thailand’s Department of International Trade Promotion has recently produced fliers and other materials with the Thai Food Processors Association to counteract Peta’s visceral campaign.
Thai officials have also been in regular contact with importers and retailers who are aware that the harvesting and production processes rely on people and machinery.
However, if Peta’s campaign continues, Thai producers will lose market share to rivals in the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
