How to Be a Conscious Eater

30

SHRIMP + SLAVERY =

ONE HOT MESS

I

n the United States, it’s common to think of slavery as a scar

of the past, a dark regression in an otherwise gradual march

toward civic enlightenment, during which humans treated

other humans as sub-human. Enslaved people were forced to

work against their will, and their basic needs, such as safe liv-

ing quarters, rest, food, and water, were withheld—often while

they were being subjected to violent physical and psychologi-

cal abuse.

Unfortunately, this reality is not merely an abomination

from history. As many have been shocked to learn, slavery has

been rampant recently in the seafood industry. It is primarily

a problem in Southeast Asia, and especially in the shrimp sec-

tor of Thailand. Not only men and women but children have

suffered under unconscionable work conditions in the name

of bringing seafood to tables and pet bowls, including ours in

the United States. The most alarming case involved the larg-

est shrimp farm on the planet, Charoen Pokphand (CP) Foods,

based in Thailand. It has been supplying most major super-

markets, including the top four globally, Carrefour, Costco,

Tesco, and Walmart.

Often the workers are migrants who get taken by traffickers

to serve in what the New York Times called “floating labor camps.”

Work without wages for years at a time. Beatings. Even murder.

No matter how hot or cold, light or dark, stormy or calm, boat

captains and crew masters demand long hours, meaning almost

Stuff That comes from animals 117

Conscious Eater_02 PT_4th patches.indd 117 10/23/19 1:31 PM