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Rabat- Abderrahim Taibi, director of the Moroccan Institute of Standardization (IMANOR), affirmed today that Morocco and Africa possess significant potential to increase their share in the global halal market and shape international halal trade regulations.
Taibi’s remarks, reported by Morocco’s state press agency, were made during his address at the sixth edition of the Halal Morocco Forum held in Casablanca. The global halal market, estimated by various studies to exceed $2 trillion, continues to experience steady growth and development, encompassing a wide range of sectors, primarily dominated by the food and cosmetics industries.
In this context, Taibi highlighted the challenges related to awareness about the importance of this market, as well as the limited resources available to ensure compliance with halal standards. He also noted the proliferation and variation of required halal standards and certifications in halal markets, amidst the absence of a unified international system in this field.
Taibi also highlighted Morocco‘s substantial progress in establishing crucial mechanisms to boost and facilitate exports to halal markets. He noted that Moroccan standards, aligned with those of the Islamic Standards and Metrology Institute and other prominent international bodies, have been developed over the past decade and are now accessible to Moroccan stakeholders.
On his part, Hassan El Sintissi, president of the Moroccan Exporters Association, affirmed that the halal market now transcends the boundaries of the Muslim community. He noted that an increasing number of consumers consider halal products to be of higher quality and healthier, especially in the Asia-Pacific region.
El Sintissi further stated that global brands recognize the critical importance of halal certification in gaining consumer trust. Non-Muslim countries like Brazil have become leaders in halal product exports, indicating the expansion and diversification of this promising market.
El Sintissi explained that halal certification not only ensures religious compliance of products but also enhances traceability and compliance with international cleanliness standards. This strengthens the competitive capabilities of businesses in both local and international markets.
The Regional Director of the National Office of Food Safety for Casablanca-Settat, Mohammed Zerdoune, highlighted the crucial role of the office in Morocco’s halal system. “We intervene significantly to clarify import control procedures by detailing the regulatory framework and specific requirements for halal certification of productsm,” he stated.
Zerdoune added that the central position of the National Office of Food Safety ensures strict compliance of products subject to this certification with established halal standards, thereby ensuring conformity of imports and facilitating access of Moroccan halal products to national and international markets.
This forum, organized under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water, and Forests, witnessed the signing of a recognition agreement for the ‘Halal Morocco’ mark between the Moroccan Institute for Standardization and the Halal Authority in Singapore.
