News

23 Oct. 2015
Halal Standards – Challenges and Opportunities - Session summary
by ITC News

SPEAKERS

Mr. Abdalhamid David Evans, CEO, HalalFocus.com

Mr. Ihsan Övüt, Secretary General, Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries

Mr. Zouhair Triqui, Secretary-General, Maroc Export

Mr. Rushdi Siddiqui, Co-Founder & CEO, Zilzar, Malaysia

Mr. Tony Zohrab, Chief Market Access Officer, Ministry for Primary Industries, New Zealand

Ms. Fe Jazzareen Binti Mor Japar Khan, CEO; Founder, Halal AQL™, Persis, Malaysia

Mr. Lanre Akinola, Editor, African Business, IC Publications (Moderator)

SUMMARY

The trillion-dollar halal food sector offers a new horizon of opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises to diversify and compete. While halal is a centuries-old tradition, the spread of 1.6 Muslims around the world has brought new opportunities, as halal products are branded, certified and traded in countries everywhere.

The maze of standards applied to halal foods is a challenge for SMEs looking to move into international markets. Importing countries often don’t recognize standards from other countries. Moreover, applying existing standards is not enough. The industry needs recognized standards specific to halal products.

ITC unveiled a new publication and an online standards tool to help businesses capture the potential of this fast-growing global market. From niche to mainstream, Halal Goes Global is the first publication to provide an overview of the global halal food and beverage market, with trade data, consumer trends, farm-to-fork challenges in the supply chain, and recommendations for trade and investment support institutions.

Harmonization, collaboration and integrity are important for standards. Because standards compliance is a key to gaining access in this fast-growing market, ITC developed the ITC Halal Standards Map to help suppliers navigate the maze of standards around the world. The tool has reliable halal-related information, helps users identify appropriate audit systems and institutions, and allows businesses to self-assess compliance against standards of relevance to them.

See:
http://www.intracen.org/publication/From-niche-to-mainstream---Halal-Goes-Global/
http://www.standardsmap.org/halal

QUOTES

Abdalhamid David Evans

“Halal can be considered the world’s biggest market, with 1.57 billion Muslims. (Compare that to China, with a population of 1.39 billion.)”
“You can't pull the standards out of thin air and overlay them on halal sector. Understand your market."
“Halal certification - it is likely to get more complicated, rather than simpler. There is a need for leadership.”

Tony Zohrab
“Halal is a work in progress. Compliance is getting better, and audits too. It’s always been about meat, but now is expanding into dairy halal products.”
“Our prime focus is trade. Trade done well, and with halal integrity maintained throughout the process."
“There is a danger that hubs start competing on halal standards."

Ihsan Övüt
“We need to collaborate with exporting countries or there will be a train wreck. There is a food security issue, too.”
“SMIIC standards are currently adopted by 20 out its 57 member countries.”

Rushdi Siddiqui
"Information is the most valuable commodity, not gold. Prices, product, players are on the same platform.”
“Halal needs information intermediation.”
“Certification bodies: do we put the cart before the horse?”

Ms. Fe Jazzareen Binti Mor Japar Khan
"Everyone wants to get on halal bandwagon. Management is taken for granted."

Zouhair Triqui
Morocco has understood the importance of this market and has a focussed strategy to develop this sector with good collaboration among the public and private sector institutions.
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speakers
Xin Liu

Vikrom Kromadit

Ursula Wynhoven

Shouwen Wang

Shinto Nugroho

Patricia Russ

Lubna Shaban

Kolin Low

Joseph Wozniak

H.E. Maithripala Sirisena

Zoritsa Urosevic

Zahra Maafiri

Wolfgang Arlt

Susan Stone

Shamshad Akhtar

Sally Buberman

Rhizlan El Alaoui

Pascal Khoo

Matanda Wayubele

Marion Jansen

Kurt Cavano

Jagdish Singla

Indira malwatte

Gao Hongbing

Eben Sermon

Donia Hammami

D J Pandian

Minister Malik Samarawickrama

Mano Sekaram

Upul Jayasuriya

Sujeewa Senasinghe

Hiran Cooray

Deshamanya Mahesh Dayalal Amalean

Stefano Arganese

Patricia Scotland

Brian Pallas

Tony Nash

Sabur Khan

Saman Kelegama

Gian Luca Petrelli

Dulith Herath

Arancha González