São Paulo – The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) wants to turn Brazilian micro and small enterprises into halal exporters. The agency’s president Augusto Pestana (pictured above) mentioned the strategy in the opening ceremony of the Global Halal Brazil business forum on Monday (6).
The event is hybrid, with an in-person part for guest in the Hotel Renaissance in São Paulo, where Pestana spoke alongside other officials and experts. The forum is held by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) and the Federation of Muslim Associations of Brazil (FAMBRAS Halal) with the support of Apex-Brasil.
Pestana further outlined the plan in an interview with ANBA. Brazil is a recognizes supplier of halal animal protein, which has been achieved especially by large producing companies in the sector, but it wants to gain foothold in new goods and include small businesses in the market. “The idea is adding this large side of halal in the training of Brazilian micro and small enterprises,” he said.
Apex- Brasil leads a training program on halal for the Brazilian exporter called Peiex that is expected to reach many micro and small entrepreneurs. The agency has also signed an agreement with the ABCC recently to hold activities involving the halal topic such as training exporters.
To export more
Apex-Brasil is affiliated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs focused on fostering exports from Brazil, attracting foreign direct investment to Brazil and helping companies go international. Training companies, particularly those new to exports, is part of the job. With halal, the idea is training small agribusiness companies, large exporters that still have no expertise in this market, as well as business from other industries like cosmetics, tourism and finance. “It’s a world to explore,” he said.
Pestana believes this market will inspire businesspeople. “I’m amazed when I see the numbers, the sheer dimension, those 2 billion of (Muslim) people (across the world) – it’s an impressive market, and trade is growing and growing, at almost USD 5 trillion. It’s quite impressive; this is an essential message to give our clients, Brazilian exporters,” Pestana said in his speech at the forum. Apex-Brasil addresses halal in approximately 20 of its activities and programs but plans on increasing its operations.
In addition to training small businesspeople on halal, the agency also plans on setting up a strategy to explore this market according to its regional divisions. “Having a strategy for these products in large regions to complement the industry regard,” Pestana told ANBA. According to him, this will be carried out via the agency’s offices and Brazil’s embassies, consulates and agricultural attachés in other countries, as well as associations with international branches like the ABCC in the Arab countries. But the idea is exploring the halal market not only in the Arab nations but in other regions where there’s a Muslim community like the Sub-Saharan Africa, the Americas and others.
Foreign policy
In the opening ceremony, Pestana said the Gulf is a priority in the Brazilian foreign policy. The region has a Muslim-majority population and consumes mostly halal products. “I’m happy to say this is not a priority just for Apex, it’s a foreign policy priority, and I’m very glad to bring this message, which is a message by Foreign minister Carlos França,” he said.
Pestana mentioned the trips of Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro to the Gulf in 2019 and this year as a show of this. Two years ago, Bolsonaro visited the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. This year he went to the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. In the UAE, the president visited Expo 2020 Dubai, a world exhibition whose Brazilian pavilion is entrusted to Apex-Brasil.
The Global Halal Brazil forum runs till Wednesday (8) and can be watched online on the event’s website or the ABCC’s YouTube channel. It features translation into Portuguese and English.
Follow the complete forum coverage:
Read more about the GHB:
- Islamic market returning to pre-pandemic levels in 2021
- Brazil’s Temer: “Halal could go beyond Islamic market”
- Brazil must promote image to diversity exports
- Islamic economics education was impacted by COVID-19
- Ready-to-eat foods are trend in halal
- Post-pandemic world to invest in public healthcare
- Halal: Brazilian food is safe and sustainable
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
