Challenges in halal food ecosystems: the case of the United Arab Emirates

What is it about?

Muslims require food to be compliant with faith teaching, or halal. With Muslims accounting for one-quarter of the worldwide population, increasing at higher than nominal rates and becoming more affluent in many regions, halal food supply has rapidly become a global phenomenon, transcending a minority religious requirement, into becoming an attractive prospect for international businesses. Globalisation, mobility and economic migration, further present state and corporate actors with a range of opportunities. This article investigates challenges in the halal food supply chain in balancing interoperability, food quality and customer satisfaction concerns present in the sector. I aim to examine vulnerabilities in halal food supply in the UAE, a country with one of the most diverse agri-food environments in the world, exploring how supply chain intermediaries are confronted with operational challenges around non-unified global standards. Consequent variability in customer confidence in halal integrity is also explored. My findings can be applied across global halal food markets, as well as supply chain systems for halal products across other sectors of the Islamic economy, such as halal pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

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