The global halal industry is facing serious challenges due to the lack of unified standards among Islamic countries, director general of the Islamic Chamber Research and Information Center (ICRIC) said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a conference on innovation-driven halal industry development, Mohammad Reza Karbasi said that only four out of the 57 member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) – Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei – have implemented halal standards as part of national legislation.
“The main issue confronting the halal industry is the absence of uniform halal procedures across Islamic countries,” Karbasi said. “If Iran National Standards Organization represents the country in promoting the SMIIC halal standard across all OIC countries, we can secure a much larger share in halal trade.”
The SMIIC – the Standards and Metrology Institute for Islamic Countries – has been advocating for harmonized halal regulations across the Muslim world.
Also speaking at the event, Farzaneh Ansari, head of Iran National Standards Organization, emphasized the urgent need for regulatory reforms in Iran’s halal sector.
“None of the top 10 countries in the global halal industry are Islamic,” Ansari said, adding that the industry is expected to reach $8 trillion in value by the end of 2025. “Iran’s share of the industry is currently less than 0.1% percent. We must urgently draft and implement clear halal standards and regulations.”