The Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), together with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), hosted a workshop titled ‘How Halal Will Boost the Internationalization of Your Brand?’ recently, at the Conrad Hotel, Dubai. The workshop highlighted the significance of halal certification for Brazilian companies to penetrate the Arab market. This was organised on the sidelines of the Gulfood, the largest food and beverage exhibition in the world being held from February 20 to 24, 2023, at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Both entities brought together over 40 Brazilian food exporting companies in this workshop, which was led by a group of professionally qualified, international Halal certifiers. The primary objective of the workshop was to 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 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.

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.

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.”

Participants in the workshop included Ahmad Saifi from CDIAL Halal, Dib Tarras from FAMBRAS Halal, and members of the ABCC halal committee.

The halal committee was established earlier this month as part of the Halal do Brasil project with the goal of increasing the number of Brazilian companies receiving halal certification and thereby boosting the share of the country’s products in this market. The committee also aims to strengthen Brazil’s status as one of largest producer of halal products, as well as spread knowledge about the global halal market. The responsibilities of this committee include managing relationships with international certification agents, providing the ABCC with technical data on halal certification procedures, discussing and exchanging information regarding the challenges, trends, and opportunities in the halal market, ensuring the accuracy of the data, disseminating technical content, and conducting training.

The Halal do Brasil project was launched by the ABCC and Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) to promote Brazilian exports of halal products to the Arab countries. The ApexBrasil works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and attract foreign investment to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. The Agency carries out several trade promotion activities, such as trade missions and business roundtables, in addition to providing support for Brazilian companies to participate in major international fairs and arranging visits by foreign buyers and opinion makers to learn about the Brazilian production structure. More information: www.apexbrasil.com.br.

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