Kopi luwak, more commonly referred to as civet cat coffee, has become immensely popular across Western markets thanks to its unusual provenance and extraordinary taste. Kopi luwak beans come from droppings collected by an Asian palm civet native of Southeast Asia that feeds on cherries; during digestion the protein and fat molecules change the composition of each bean leading to fermentation and eventually creating its signature chocolaty smooth taste that sets kopi luwak apart from other coffee varieties.

Kopi luwak is costly due to its labor intensive production process. To cut costs, many producers have turned to farming civets rather than capturing them from the wild; however, this practice raises animal welfare concerns as civets tend to be very solitary in the wild and cannot adapt well when kept captive; consequently they consume too many coffee cherries which leads to health problems as well as psychological strain and causes them stress, leading to unexpected behaviors like biting their own tails!

Moving Animals’ video released of an animal rights group shows an escape-minded civet cat desperately attempting to break free from its filthy cage and devour more coffee cherries for what people refer to as “wild-sourced” cups of kopi luwak coffee. He can be seen panting, biting his tail bone and pacing back and forth – signs that indicate severe mental distress in this poor animal.

Many companies have pulled kopi luwak from shelves and cut ties with its industry, yet others remain committed to profiting from this exotic coffee even as evidence points towards exploited civet cats in harsh living conditions.

Our researchers visited various kopi luwak farms in Indonesia and witnessed civets living in deplorable conditions, such as being held in small cages with limited room to move, being force-fed coffee cherries, being exposed to excessive sunlight which caused discomfort and heat exhaustion, being sick, distressed animals being held captive, as well as one animal which was so distressed it couldn’t sleep at night.

Answering the question “is kopi luwak halal?” with no is not possible because it is forbidden (haram) for Muslims to consume coffee beans that have been processed through non-Muslim animals’ digestion processes and excreted as waste products. We suggest supporting a boycott against this product in order to put an end to animal abuse, sending a clear message that we no longer accept exploiting animals for luxury items which is unnecessary and cruel – instead offering more ethical options that satisfy consumer demand.