São Paulo – The state of Paraná has the potential to export to Muslim markets in several sectors, from foods such as proteins and yerba mate to the textile and cosmetics industry, according to the director of International and Institutional Relations of the investment promotion agency of the State Secretariat for Industry, Commerce, and Services (Invest Paraná), Giancarlo Rocco.
The halal market was the subject of a webinar promoted this Thursday (3) by Invest Paraná in partnership with the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC). The virtual seminar “How Halal can boost your brand’s Internationalization” showed entrepreneurs, cooperatives, and those interested in the topic of what Halal represents and how to obtain certification, which attests to the company, processes, and products follow the requirements and guidelines of Islam and are therefore suitable for consumption by Muslims.
Giancarlo Rocco informed there were around 70 participants in the event, and several sectors of the state have the potential to export to countries with a Muslim majority. “When talking about the halal market, people see foremostly food, but it goes far beyond that; it is important to disseminate information about it,” he told ANBA.
Rocco sees potential in the state’s textile industry, which produces clothing, to obtain certification. The Cianorte region was mentioned. “It is a considerable potential to be explored as a value adder,” he said. He recalled the seminar explained the halal certificate is not just a process to enter Muslim markets but also attests to the quality of production.
According to the director, the slaughterhouses and poultry cooperatives already exporting have more advanced potential. “To give you an idea, of the 15 largest cooperatives in Latin America, ten are in Paraná and last year had revenues of BRL 220 billion (about USD 46.48 billion at the current rate). The state’s GDP in that period was USD 100 billion, a significant factor within our economic matrix,” he said.
The state’s cooperatives operate in animal protein, dairy, and malting, among various sectors serving markets with different products.
The biggest poultry-producing state in Brazil, with 547 million birds slaughtered in the first quarter of 2023, Paraná represents 34% of the national industry and stands out in exports of this halal-certified protein.
Yerba mate
Rocco claims Paraná has grown and developed with yerba mate and coffee production but is still unrecognized. “Rio Grande do Sul is still more associated with yerba mate due to the habit of consuming it, but we have the most significant production in the country, and we want to publicize this. It is our mission, as state representatives, to elevate our yerba mate as a brand,” he said.
Rocco stated the state’s producers primarily do not process yerba mate but, at most, sell it for consumption. “We also see a great potential for adding value. Tea is the world’s most consumed beverage, so we must help producers keep this potential in mind,” he declared.
Paraná’s yerba mate grows in the shade and is mixed with other species, meaning the harvest must be manual and cost more. “But we have many entrepreneurs investing in this, like energy drinks with yerba mate, soluble mate, and yerba mate with dehydrated coconut. Looking at other markets is very important; we need to encourage industrialization to have a pattern,” he said.
Rocco wants to promote the state as a brand recognized for its products and quality. “We work in some regions, with some products. It is a long process, but necessary,” he said about obtaining denominations of origin.
Beauty and cosmetics
The beauty industry is another export prospect for the state. “We have a large plant in the state, O Boticário [in São José dos Pinhais], which brings with it other brands and makes Paraná a reference in the beauty and cosmetics sector. It is a potential to be worked on,” he said. O Boticário has stores in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
“These are countries very concerned with health and beauty and can afford premium products,” said Rocco.
Missions
Giancarlo Rocco said since 2019, Invest Paraná has carried out 16 international missions, and four more are planned to occur later this year. One was to Expo 2020 Dubai, in 2021, when they took over 250 businesspeople for 12 days in the emirate. He also informed they expect to take companies from Paraná to Gulfood, in Dubai, in February 2024, and he has been discussing a potential mission to Egypt.
Translated by Elúsio Brasileiro
