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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 U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
