Analysis of Agri-Food Trade Structures

To Promote Agri-Food Trade Networks

In the Islamic Countries

Local and Regional Quality labelling scheme

Halal Certification

Bangladesh is actively working to explore and expand its export basket especially in developing

markets to take advantage of approximately 1.25 trillion USD worth market of the halal food

sector

. Halal certification is no longer just purely a religious issue, but is increasingly becoming

a global symbol for quality assurance and life style choice. At present, there is no mandatory

regulatory requirement of halal certification or labelling for importing agricultural or food and

beverage products. However, export of Bangladesh’s food and beverage items require halal

certification in most of the Muslim-majority countries. Halal certification has also developed as

a significant force in the Muslim-minority countries, where halal food has become a defining

element of Muslim identity. Currently in Bangladesh, one public (Islamic Foundation

Bangladesh) and one private (Halal Bangladesh Services Limited) organization issues Halal

certifications. The Islamic Foundation Bangladesh launched its Halal Diagnostic Laboratory in

Dhaka’s Agargaon on 4 August 2017, the first of its kind in the country, to test products for their

compliance with Islamic rules and regulations before giving them Halal certificates.

The OIC is the only global body working on developing a unified regulatory framework and a

sound mechanism for the halal market. The designated body under the OIC is the Standards and

Metrology Institute for the Islamic Countries (SMIIC), which currently has a membership of 35

countries. Various standards and metrology bodies in the Islamic world are actively

collaborating with SMIIC, such as ESMA and the Turkish Accreditation Agency, and several

standards have been developed and published. These include standards for food production,

certification bodies and accreditation bodies. The aim is to provide a unified framework in which

all the OIC member states all use the same standards and methodologies for certification,

accreditation and laboratory services. The framework follows the normative mainstream

structure and may culminate in the formation of an International Halal Accreditation Forum as

the overarching authority.

Bangladesh is yet to become a member of the SMIIC, which,

however, could have assist Bangladeshi meat exporters to overcome the market entry

requirements in the Saudi market, as well as, act as a driving force to enhance its exports of halal

food and beverages to other Muslim-majority countries.

Geographical Indications

Bangladesh enacted Geographical Indications (GIs) of goods (registration and protection) Act,

2013 to facilitate the protection of traditional products nationally and possibly abroad, if

Bangladeshi GIs could be registered in other countries. The 2016 National Industrial Policy has

also identified this as a key area for policy initiatives. Following adoption of the GIs Act, two

products namely,

Jamdani

and

Hilsha

received GI registration in August 2017.

However, the enactment of the 2013 GIs Act 2013 is merely the first step in a longer process of

recognition, commercialization, and management of Bangladeshi GIs and GI-denominated

products. In order to preserve the country’s cultural heritage and to protect traditional products

State of the Global Islamic Economy report 2017/18, commissioned by the Dubai government, and researched and written

by Thompson Reuters and DinarStandard valued the halal food and beverage market at 1.24 trillion USD in 2016. That

represents 18.2% of the total global food and beverage market, and estimated to reach 1.93 trillion USD by 2022.

For more details please visit the Standards and Metrology Institute for the Islamic Countries (SMIIC) webpage, available at:

https://www.smiic.org/en/smiic