LIFESTYLE - HALAL - OIC urges Turkey to take the lead in $1 trillion halal food market

Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country and a major food producer, may take the lion’s share of the $1 trillion halal food market around the world. (source)

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) have asked Turkey to take the lead in respect to halal food, investing special efforts to boost the $1 trillion market.

Turkish Industry and Trade Minister Nihat Ergün paid a visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of the OIC last week. In Jeddah, he held important talks with about 300 wealthy Saudi businessmen, and OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, who is also a Turkish national, discussed with him the importance of the halal food business. In that regard, Saudi businessmen conveyed to Ergün that they are ready to buy all the food products Turkey produces. Noting that the international halal food market has expanded to $1 trillion over the years, İhsanoğlu asked Turkey to concentrate on improving it further, assuming a leading role in producing food bearing an internationally recognized halal certificate and also stimulating Muslims' awareness in consuming halal food. He explained that even countries such as China, India and Taiwan, home to Muslim minority populations, produce halal food for Muslim countries while Turkey, a predominantly Muslim country and a major food producer whose influence among OIC members has visibly increased, particularly over the past few years, may take the lion's share of this market. Noting that the international halal food market has expanded to $1 trillion over the years, Organization of the Islamic Conference Secretary-General İhsanoğlu asked Turkey to concentrate on improving it further, assuming a leading role in producing food bearing an internationally recognized halal certificate and also stimulating Muslims’ awareness in consuming halal food He advised Turkish producers to comply with halal food specifications in their exports to Muslim countries. Stressing that Muslim countries tend to do on the spot inspections of foodstuffs produced for them in predominantly Christian and Buddhist countries, İhsanoğlu said Turkey may soon grab a great share of the market without passing through such a test. During his meeting with the OIC secretary-general, Minister Ergün said he would meet with food manufacturers in Turkey to discuss the opportunities in that regard and brief them about the situation in the market. Turkey’s exports rebounded after experiencing a downfall in 2009 because of the global financial crisis and reached $114 billion last year. The country aims to bring its export volume to $500 billion by 2023, the centennial of the modern Republic of Turkey. To that end, it has so far focused on decreasing its dependency on foreign supplies in the field of energy and boosting industrial production at large -- particularly by developing a national car brand which will then be exported to world markets. However, increasing its food sales to other countries received little attention in that strategy. İhsanoğlu’s proposal may thus act as a wake-up call for the country to take advantage of its food production in the very lucrative halal food market, which has the potential to enlarge even further. Cooperation on cotton agriculture The OIC also made another offer to Turkey, this time on cooperation among Muslim countries for cotton production. Pointing out that Turkey is the most experienced country in cotton production, the OIC’s İhsanoğlu requested Turkey to share its experience with other cotton-producing Muslim countries. Minister Ergün explained that although the price of a kilogram of cotton was below $1 in 2010, it recently rose to just below $5 because of increasing demand from the world’s two giant developing nations: China and India, as well as Muslim countries. With this price hike, cotton has become a strategic product, Ergün noted in his meeting with the OIC secretary-general. Speaking to Today’s Zaman about his talks at the OIC, Minister Ergün said: “Turkey may start to cooperate with Muslim countries with respect to cotton production. Although it is produced in many Muslim countries, cotton cannot be harvested or processed properly, which eventually increases its price. Some joint projects should be implemented in this regard. The OIC and the IDB have asked Turkey to share its experience with other Muslim countries. We are ready to cooperate to that end.” After the talks with the OIC and the IDB, Turkish officials decided to give Mali, which produces the best quality cotton among Muslim countries after Turkey, training and technical support. In this regard, Turkey will soon send some of its idle machinery and equipment to the country. As part of the cooperation coordinated by the OIC, Turkey will process cotton produced in other Muslim countries. Ergün also discussed with the OIC secretary-general the adoption of the Charter of the Standards and Meteorology Institute for Islamic Countries (SMIIC), which the OIC decided to establish in 2010. The OIC asked Turkey to ratify it as soon as possible and share its experience on this matter with other Muslim countries as well. Source : http://www.todayszaman.com/news-235815-oic-urges-turkey-to-take-the-lead-in-1-trillion-halal-food-market.html  - Feb 17, 2011