A workshop held on the sidelines of the recent Gulfood in Dubai shed light on the added value that halal certification brings to Brazilian companies, enabling them to penetrate the markets of Islamic countries.
It also highlighted the market’s significance in the international business landscape. Furthermore, the workshop, organised by the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) together with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), also provided an ideal opportunity for companies to learn more about the halal market and its requirements for gaining the certification, through several lectures.
The global market for halal products is expanding due to the growing Muslim population and economies. This, along with the trust in halal-certified products is creating more innovative opportunities in the market. The workshop covered this topic along with how the certification verifies a product is suitable for consumption, and raised awareness about the value this accreditation brings for businesses across various industries.
Brazilian food exporters
The workshop titled ‘How Halal Will Boost the Internationalisation of Your Brand?’ brought together over 40 Brazilian food exporting companies, which was led by a group of professionally qualified, international Halal certifiers.
Furthermore, the ABCC also aimed to detail the operations of the halal system and identified the elements that contribute to the growth of the sector.
One of these factors is the growing Muslim populace, which is expected to increase in the coming years in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Another factor is the economic growth of Muslim-majority countries, which is expanding at a faster rate than the global average.
Tamer Mansour, Secretary General and CEO of the ABCC highlighted the importance of expanding the reach of halal in Brazil outside beef and poultry, two products in which Brazil is already the world's top producer and exporter. Paula Soares, Manager of ApexBrasil's Agribusiness spoke at the event’s opening, and Rafael Solimeo, Head of the ABCC International Office in Dubai, gave the closing remarks for the event.
High potential
Ashraf El Tanbouly, CEO of the Islamic Chamber of Halal Services (ICHS) stated that there are several possibilities in the halal industry. “The halal industry is a high-potential avenue. Therefore, it is imperative to bring producers and traders together to explore opportunities in the sector and build meaningful relationships as well as strategies that accelerate growth in the industry.”
Safi emphasised the significance of the Halal do Brasil initiative, which focuses mainly on assist Brazilian companies to enter the halal market. “We believe that the Halal do Brasil project holds paramount significance since the halal market is expected to expand and continue to thrive. Through this project, we will continue our mission to assisting more Brazilian goods to enter the halal market as well as help companies receive the certification,” he added.
Tarras highlighted the importance of halal goods in both industry and retail. “Through halal, the complete productive chain expands and progresses. Even in nations that are new to the industry, for instance like the United States, the halal business is becoming more significant and witnessing an upward trend,” he added.
Alan Oliveira, Founder of the Pantanal Trading stated that the workshop enabled attendees to understand the significance of the halal market. “In Brazil, we produce products such as cosmetics, coffee, fruits etc. This workshop has enabled us to learn about the halal system and we intend to incorporate those in our processes.”
