Morocco and Africa in general have “real potential” to take significant shares in the global Halal market and influence the operating rules of this trade, said Thursday in Casablanca the director of the Moroccan Institute for Standardization (IMANOR), Abderrahim Taibi.
Speaking at the 6th edition of the Halal Morocco Forum (FOHAM 2024), Mr. Taibi indicated that this global market, estimated by several studies at more than 2,000 billion dollars, continues to grow and evolve to cover a range of diversified sectors driven mainly by products in the food and cosmetics sectors.
At the same time, he emphasized the challenges relating in particular to the delay in awareness of the importance of this market and the limit of resources mobilized for compliance with halal standards, but also to the proliferation of Halal standards and Labels required for access to different markets in the absence of a harmonized international recognition system.
Mr. Taibi also recalled that Morocco has taken important steps in providing essential tools to stimulate and support its exports to halal markets, adding that Moroccan standards aligned with the standards of the SMIIC (Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries) and the most recognized foreign halal standards have been developed over the past ten years and made available to the Moroccan operators concerned.
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For his part, the president of the Moroccan Association of Exporters (ASMEX), Hassan Sentissi, stressed that the halal market now goes beyond the borders of the Muslim community, noting that a growing number of consumers consider halal products as better quality and healthier, especially in Asia-Pacific. “It is notable that global brands recognize the critical importance of halal certification in gaining consumer trust. Non-Muslim countries like Brazil are becoming major players in the export of halal products, thus illustrating the expansion and diversification of this promising market,” he said.
Halal certification not only guarantees the religious conformity of products, but also increased traceability and compliance with international hygiene standards, which strengthens the competitiveness of companies in local and international markets, explained Mr. Sentissi. For his part, the regional director of ONSSA for the Casablanca-Settat region, Mohamed Zerdoune, highlighted the crucial role of the Office in the halal ecosystem in Morocco. “We mainly intervene to clarify the modalities of import control, by detailing the regulatory basis and the specific requirements for the halal certification of products.”
ONSSA, as a central actor, ensures that products subject to this certification rigorously comply with established halal standards, thus guaranteeing the conformity of imports and facilitating access to national and international markets for Moroccan halal products, said Mr. Zerdoune.
Organized under the aegis of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, this forum was marked by the signing by IMANOR and the The Halal Authority of Singapore (MUIS) of the act of recognition of the Halal Morocco label, as well as by the presentation of prizes to sponsors and the granting of the Halal Morocco Label to several companies and international Halal certification structures.
Bringing together 150 participants, this edition stands out for its regional dimension, particularly African, and highlights the importance of creating a halal ecosystem promoting the integration of African companies into global value chains with a view to better positioning in the global halal market.
With MAP
