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Us media expose Kopi Luwak industry chain: civets are generally enslaved and abused

Published: 2026-04-29 Author: World Gafei

Last Updated: 2026/04/29, The US quartz financial website published a report entitled "the world's most expensive coffee is a nightmare for the animals that produce this coffee" on July 24, saying that even in the world of boutique coffee and nitrogen-cooled coffee, Kopi Luwak (also known as civet coffee) is also the benchmark for luxury coffee. This kind of coffee is excreted by the coconut cat (a kind of civet endemic to Southeast Asia).

The US quartz financial website published a report entitled "the world's most expensive coffee is a nightmare for the animals that produce this coffee" on July 24, saying that even in the world of boutique coffee and nitrogen-cooled coffee, Kopi Luwak (also known as "civet coffee") is also the benchmark for luxury coffee. The coffee is made from partially digested coffee beans excreted by coconut cats (a civet endemic to Southeast Asia). It has a stronger flavor and a lighter sour taste. Although the price of Kopi Luwak has fallen since 2013, it is still as high as $200 to $400 a kilogram (1300-2700 yuan) and is increasingly popular with tourists.

Kopi Luwak has traditionally been made from coconut cat droppings collected in the wild, the report said. But its high prices have led to wild civets being captured and kept in captivity on coffee plantations. A recent report published in the journal Animal Protection assessed the survival of 48 civets on 16 plantations. The Kopi Luwak industry is "a slave industry", the report said.

Neil de Cruz, a wildlife researcher and co-author of the report at the nonprofit World Society for the Conservation of Animals, said: "Unfortunately, many tourists turn a blind eye to the cruelty of captive civets making Kopi Luwak." they even lined up to take pictures of civets and share them on social networks. "

Wild civets eat coffee beans as part of a balanced diet, while captive civets are overfed with immature coffee beans. Wild civets usually like to be nocturnal, while captive civets are kept in sunlight spaces that can easily lead to claustrophobia. When they are enraged, they fight. Many captive civets get sick or die from stress.

Reported that since 2013, including the British department store Harold and Selfridge department stores, at least 13 retailers have taken Kopi Luwak off the shelves or promised to investigate the production process of Kopi Luwak. But regulating the Kopi Luwak industry is not easy: animal rights activists say it is difficult to trace the source of Kopi Luwak, and even harder to determine whether they are involved in the abuse of civets. (compiled / Liu Baiyun)

(reference message Network)

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