Not Every Problem is a "Vegan" Problem to Solve

How labeling foods like coconut milk or avocados “not vegan” misleads the public — and puts the burden on vegans to solve a larger social problem that everyone should care about

Some brands of coconut milk are linked to animal cruelty — but that doesn’t mean coconut milk itself “isn’t vegan.” Some crops are pollinated with migratory bees, but that doesn’t mean almonds and avocados “aren’t vegan.” The exploitation of monkeys for coconuts or the use of trucked-in bees for almond pollination — are real problems that everyone needs to solve, not a purity issue related to veganism.

Coconut Milk Isn’t the Problem — Cruelty Is

Saying coconut milk is “not vegan” because of the animal cruelty behind its production is a problem.

Let me explain.

Coconut milk is made from coconuts, which is a plant food. Therefore vegans — and non-vegans! — get to enjoy coconut milk!

Yay!

However, investigations have revealed that some producers of coconut milk—especially those in Thailand—subject a particular species of macaque monkeys to unendurable pain and torment as they capture them from the wild and use them to harvest coconuts.

This is an animal cruelty issue that we humans need to solve — not a vegan issue for vegans to solve.

This is the problem with talking about products, activities, and practices as being vegan or not vegan.

Almonds, Avocados, and the Misplaced Blame

Another example of this is the issue surrounding almonds and avocado trees, where non-native bees are brought in to pollinate what are essentially vast monocrops.

This is a real problem with real consequences, but framing it as “almonds aren’t vegan” or “avocados aren’t vegan”—as both vegans and non-vegans often do—reduces a complex, systemic issue to what sounds like a vegan purity test.

Read the article, Almonds, Avocados, and the Vegan Debate

Renting non-native bees to pollinate monocrops is not a problem created by vegans, and it’s not a problem that is incumbent upon vegans to solve. It’s a problem created by farmers, big-ag, and the politicians in their pockets.

It’s a problem that will be solved through policy, legislation, regulation, and consumer education.

That requires everyone’s involvement.

Same with the exploitation of monkeys for coconut harvesting. The issue isn’t that “coconut milk isn’t vegan” (and we wonder why the public is confused about what vegan means). This is an animal-cruelty issue, and it’s one that all of us — vegan or not — are responsible for addressing.

When the Vegan Label Backfires

I understand using the word “vegan” as a shortcut — “I’m vegan” is an easy way of saying, “I don’t want to contribute to violence against animals, and I’m doing my part by not eating them.” But it becomes problematic when we start using “vegan” to label every instance of cruelty or violence.

In my article The Intolerance of Vegans, I discuss the phenomenon of how adding criteria to the definition of veganism — beyond avoiding the use of animals for food, clothing, or entertainment — ends up diluting its meaning and alienating people who might otherwise be open to it. When we start tacking on every social, political, or environmental issue and labeling it a “vegan” one, we create confusion about what veganism actually is and shift the focus away from compassion and toward compliance.

Similarly, when we say “coconut milk isn’t vegan,” it makes it sound like vegans “can’t” have it — like it doesn’t pass “vegan muster,” just another restrictive rule vegans live by.

But when we say “some brands of coconut milk are linked to animal cruelty,” people can actually hear that and get behind it, because now it’s about a broader issue people care about — not just another chance to play the “gotcha game” with vegans or for vegans to police each other.

Just as we describe cosmetics and personal care products as cruelty-free when animals aren’t used as a means to an end, we can frame the use of animals to harvest coconuts in Southeast Asia as cruelty — not as a question of whether it’s “vegan” or “not vegan.”

The bottom line is I don’t aspire to be as vegan as I can be. I aspire to be as compassionate as I can be, and I want to inspire others to do the same.

Ethical Brands of Coconut Milk

The problem has been linked mostly to certain suppliers — especially in Thailand — where monkey labor is still used on some coconut farms, but coconuts from other regions (like the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka) are generally harvested by humans. Some brands tied to Thai supply chains such as Chaokoh have been dropped by major retailers after documented links to monkey-labor in their coconut harvesting.

If you’re looking to buy coconut milk and want to avoid supporting abusive practices, some brands have already taken the right steps. For example, Native Forest and Let’s Do Organic (both under Edward & Sons Trading Company) have been verified by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) as “monkey-labor-free” in their coconut harvesting.

Of course, verifying every brand’s supply chain isn’t always easy, so it’s worth checking where the coconuts are grown and whether the brand has transparent sourcing practices.

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Additional Resources

👉 Connect with me 1:1 – Get personalized guidance whatever you are looking for.

👉 Read A Year of Compassion – Daily inspiration to help you live with intention, kindness, and clarity.

👉 Travel with me! I host animal-friendly, luxury, all-inclusive vegan trips around the world, specifically curated to ensure high-quality, high-touch premium experiences. Check out our upcoming trips, and let me know if you have any questions.

👉 Check out my Recipe E-Books and my library of On-Demand Cooking Classes for recipes.