Shrimp is the most popular seafood eaten in the US. Americans consume 1.3 billion pounds of it each year, which amounts to roughly four pounds per person. But very little shrimp eaten here comes from local waters: Thailand dominates the market and half of the country's shrimp exports end up on American tables.
Two years ago, a team of Associated Press reporters discovered forced labor and human trafficking in the supply chain. The AP has been publishing the findings since then in a remarkable multimedia series called "Seafood from slaves." The project was awarded a Pulitzer Prize earlier this year.
Martha Mendoza, a national writer for the AP, takes us back to the moment when she and her colleagues decided to focus their collective investigative reporting lens on the Thai shrimp industry. Tune into our show in the weeks ahead to get the scoop on her next big exposé in the series, to be published later this month.
Music: "Cañamo Medico" by EarthRise Sound System and "Green Arrow" by Yo La Tengo