All of them have led to a belief in the importance of creating a resilient and sustainable future.Jakarta (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin on Thursday emphasized that mutual recognition of halal product guarantees among countries is necessary to open more opportunities in the global market and bolster joint responsibility in manufacturing quality halal products.
He made the remarks while opening the G20 Global Halal Forum (Halal 20) organized by the Religious Affairs Ministry's Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) in Semarang city, Central Java province.
"The global halal market has become increasingly attractive for international producers and traders. The total consumption of Muslims globally in 2021 exceeded US$2 trillion. Even, it is projected to reach US$2.8 trillion in 2025," he highlighted.
A number of countries have benefitted from the global halal product trade, the Vice President said.
Brazil is the largest supplier of halal food products to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries, with its export value reaching US$16.5 billion, followed by India with a value of US$15.35 billion, he noted.
Currently, the demand for halal products is not only fuelled by adherence to religious teachings, but has become a lifestyle trend, he observed.
"This trend has been encouraged by various new philosophical values, such as awareness of health, cleanliness, sustainability, as well as welfare and balance of nature. All of them have led to a belief in the importance of creating a resilient and sustainable future," Amin noted.
Hence, international cooperation on halal product guarantees is needed, thus Indonesia will continue to strengthen collaboration in the global halal market, he said.
Through the attempt, the halal economy sector is expected to drive global economic growth and encourage countries to recover together inclusively, he added.
The Halal 20 Forum (H20) is a side event of Indonesia’s 2022 G20 Presidency, which is taking place from November 17–19, 2022. It is themed “Global Halal Partnership for a Robust Sustainable Future.”
The event has drawn 279 participants from 44 countries, including ambassadors from friendly countries, representatives of 104 foreign halal institutions, practitioners, scientists, and observers of halal product assurance.
On the first day of the event, the BPJPH inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Helal Akreditasyon Kurumu (HAK) of Turkiye and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) of Saudi Arabia.
The institution also signed an MoU with State Islamic University (UIN) Ar Raniry of Aceh, Padang State University, Queen of Mall, as well as the Association of Indonesian Women Entrepreneurs (Iwapi).
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Translator: Desca Natalia, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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