SAO PAULO, About 3,000 people watched the debates at the Global Halal Brazil (GHB) Business Forum, which convened here recently in a hybrid format, promoted by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) and FAMBRAS Halal, the halal certification branch of the Federation of Muslim Associations of Brazil.
The audience included those who participated online and in-person at the Renaissance hotel in São Paulo. Part of the lectures was made remotely and part on-site at the hotel, according a statement by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.
“The importance of creating incentives for the Brazilian halal industry was more than clear,” said the vice president for International Relations at the ABCC, Mohamad Orra Mourad, mentioning one of the needs perceived at the forum.
The president of FAMBRAS Halal, Mohamed Zoghbi, said he watched the forum with the certainty the event made a significant contribution to the Brazilian economy. “My wish is the knowledge shared here will result in good business, the Islamic market does not stop growing, and it is always looking for suppliers to serve their markets better,” he said.
Minister Alexandre Peña Ghisleni, director of the Agribusiness Department of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated the forum brought an overview of the current reality and a challenge to expand products with halal certification in Brazil. “Today, we know how relations are in 2021, but we want to know how they will be in 2025, in 2030, and this challenge is well accepted; it is taken with pleasure on our side,” he said.
Ambassador Qais Shqair, head of the Arab League mission to Brazil, stated he watched the debates in-person in the first two days of the forum and participated remotely in the closing. Shqair recalled Brazil’s pioneering spirit in the halal industry, the market size, and thriving prospects. “There is an international tendency to consume halal products, which are considered safe, clean, and healthy,” he said. He argued business expansion in the area involves closer political ties between Brazil and Arab countries.
The secretary-general of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture (ICCIA), Yousef Hasan Khalawi, said at the forum closing the halal market has been expanding due to the worldwide interest in ethics and sustainability. “The ethical precept will attract not only Muslims but non-Muslims because we all agree with the industry and ethical products,” Khalawi said.
The authorities congratulated the organisers for the event, the first and largest halal forum in Brazil. The GHB was sponsored by the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil), BRF, Pantanal Trading, Portonave, and Iceport.
Source: Emirates News Agency