New publication: From Niche to Mainstream – Halal Goes Global

Opportunities in the trillion-dollar global halal food market were featured at the World Export Development Forum (WEDF) which took place in Doha, Qatar from 20-21 October. The International Trade Centre (ITC) unveiled an online halal standards tool and a publication to help businesses capture the potential of this booming market.

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 halal food sector offers a new horizon of opportunity to build the capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises to diversify and gain a competitive edge in this area,’ said ITC Executive Director Arancha González.

‘To gain access to these markets, companies need to navigate the maze of halal standards in export markets,’ continued Ms. González. ‘Our new online ITC Halal Standards Map does just this.’

The ITC Halal Standards Map features trusted and verified information for relevant standards. It helps businesses spot the audit systems and institutions that are best for them, and allows businesses to self-assess their compliance against halal standards relevant to them.

ITC offers the tool free as part of its global public goods programme which also includes trade data, publications and a sustainability standards mapping tool, all available on the ITC website.

ITC also launched a unique publication on halal markets. 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 to promote a national halal industry.

WEDF was organized by ITC and hosted by the Qatar Development Bank, and attracted more than 700 people from 92 countries to discuss trade and investment issues. It also facilitated matchmaking among small and medium-sized enterprises leading to 90 letters of intent for US $80 million dollars in business deals.

Learn more about the ITC Halal Standards Map

Download Halal Goes Global

Download Halal Goes Global-Arabic version

Learn more about the World Export Development Forum