Peak globalization? Burmese men, women and children are being sold to factories in Thailand - "no names are used, just numbers" - and forced to peel shrimp that ends up in global supply chains. As a recent AP investigation uncovered, [3]U.S. customs records show the shrimp made its way into the supply chains of major U.S. food stores and retailers such as Wal-Mart, Kroger, Whole Foods, Dollar General and Petco, along with restaurants such as Red Lobster and Olive Garden.
Shrimp is the most-loved seafood in the U.S., with Americans downing 1.3 billion pounds every year, or about 4 pounds per person. Once a luxury reserved for special occasions, it became cheap enough for stir-fries and scampis when Asian farmers started growing it in ponds three decades ago. Thailand quickly dominated the market and now sends nearly half of its supply to the U.S.
And the way to keep those prices low enough for a stagnant-wage-earning America... "slavery"
