Shrimp Farmers Face Severe Exploitation Due to Supermarket Pricing Pressures

New research reveals falling earnings, hazardous conditions, and labor abuses in Vietnam, Indonesia, and India as supermarkets seek lower prices.

Shrimp farmers in Vietnam, Indonesia, and India have seen earnings drop by 20%-60% from pre-pandemic levels due to supermarket demands for lower wholesale prices.
Workers face unpaid and underpaid labor, with many earning below minimum wage and being subjected to long hours and wage insecurity.
The report found hazardous working conditions, including child labor, particularly in India and parts of Indonesia.
Supermarkets implicated include Target, Walmart, Costco, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Aldi, and Co-op, with many failing to meet ethical sourcing commitments.
Researchers suggest that higher wholesale prices paid to farmers would not necessarily result in higher consumer prices but would reduce supermarket profits.