Thailand – Advancing Workers’ Rights

In Thailand, I’ve worked closely with Thai Union (an industry giant) and local partners to strengthen environmental and social practices in shrimp aquaculture. Unlike the extensive systems I’ve seen in Bangladesh or the jurisdictional approaches in Indonesia, Thai shrimp farms operate at large, high-intensity scales, producing significant volumes for global markets. This scale brings opportunities for efficiency and innovation—but also complex challenges around labor rights, supply chain accountability, and environmental responsibility.

My role has focused on helping farms improve production practices in line with local laws and international sustainability standards, while also addressing one of the most critical issues in the sector: the rights and protections of migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. These workers are the backbone of the industry, yet too often their voices go unheard. Together with colleagues and verifiers on the ground, we have worked to strengthen systems of representation, worker training, and grievance mechanisms, ensuring that social responsibility becomes as central to aquaculture as water quality or feed efficiency.

This work is part of a broader effort to show that responsible aquaculture is not only about ecosystems, but also about people. By supporting worker empowerment, improving dialogue between farms and labor representatives, and embedding social safeguards into farm management systems, we are helping build a model where growth and inclusion go hand in hand.

What makes Thailand especially important is its visibility in global seafood markets. Changes here set precedents for the region and beyond. By advancing both environmental performance and worker protections, our work in Thailand contributes to a vision of aquaculture that is resilient, ethical, and inclusive—one that meets global expectations while improving the lives of the people who make it possible.