The second edition of Global Halal Brazil Business Forum (GHB), organised by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) in collaboration with FAMBRAS Halal, served as a dynamic platform for industry experts, officials and entrepreneurs to highlight major trends and opportunities in the global halal market. The forum was held recently in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The two-day event focused on major topics including “ESG practices in line with halal values”, “Added value of halal products for consumers”, “Technology as driver of halal global business”, “Halal, logistics and strategic hubs” and “Tourism and entertainment: innovation and competitiveness”.

In conjunction with the forum, ABCC also launched ‘Trust Trace’, a pilot plan for a traceability system for halal products. The key objective of the system is to offer information on the complete production cycle of halal items. Furthermore, the forum featured the Halal Scientific Technical Congress (CTEC Halal), which was led by the International Academy Halal, an institute specialised in halal training, qualification and continuous education.

The 2023 edition of the forum brought together renowned speakers for several sessions as well as representatives from key organisations and several ministers from Brazil and the Arab world. The panel discussions held on the sidelines of the forum also discussed the establishment of strategic distribution and logistics hubs in various Muslim-majority countries to ensure seamless and secure trade of halal products within markets in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia region.

Osmar Chohfi, President of ABCC, said: “The second edition of Global Halal Brazil Business Forum proved to be instrumental in highlighting the potential of the halal market to Brazilian entrepreneurs and officials while emphasising the consistency of the country as a halal partner to the Arab and Islamic attendees. Currently, the Islamic market is one of the major markets, which brings together nearly 60 countries globally, with a population of 1.97 billion residents and an economic activity of USD 5.7 trillion annually. According to reports Brazil exported nearly USD 23 billion worth of food and beverages to Islamic countries in 2022. This indicates that producing halal foods appear as an excellent opportunity for most Brazilian entrepreneurs as the demand for halal products is surging higher, even beyond the Arabic and Islamic worlds. The market also shows substantial growth potential beyond the food sector.”

Like Chohfi, FAMBRAS Halal president Mohamed Zoghbi stressed the relevance of the event and pointed out the opportunities. “I have no doubt it was a milestone in the history of global Halal. We brought Brazilian and international dignitaries and officials to discuss key relevant topics for those who want to break in or keep operating with excellence in the Halal market,” he says. “We left with a very good prospect for our country, especially due to the potential we have to expand the supply of goods – not just fresh but also industrialized, as well Halal services and tourism.”

During the event, Arab authorities regarded Brazil as a key producer and largest exporter of halal animal proteins, while highlighting the potential of the vast halal market across diverse product portfolios, which is yet to be explored.  In line with this, H.E Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, and representatives from Arab embassies and the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (ICCIA), emphasised that the political and economic bond between Brazil and Arab countries supports any potential expansion of the range of exports, in terms of both volume and product categories.

In addition, Al Zeyoudi reaffirmed the country’s urge to reinforce global cooperation in the halal industry following the sustainable development goals (SDGs). He further added: “We strongly believe that the forum will pave the way for bringing together expertise and strengthening joint economic and investment policies to support sustainable growth of halal industry and draw more global investments.” 

In line with the discussions held in the forum, the Halal do Brazil revealed its plan to conduct a comprehensive B2B visit to companies. The initiative, which is carried out by ABCC and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), seeks to strengthen the foothold of Brazilian halal food and beverage items in global markets. 

The 2023 edition brought together over 40 speakers from across 13 countries. The event witnessed the signing of four cooperation agreements and thirteen sponsorships. In addition, the second edition of GHB received immense media coverage, with over 300 articles in Brazilian and international media.  

The event was held under the sponsorship of renowned organisations including BRF/Marfrig, Minerva Foods, Laila Travel, Turkish Airlines, Brazilian Tourism Board (Embratur), Travel Plus and H2R Insights and Trends.

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