Brazilian and global experts to discuss halal market

Executives at the helm of large Brazilian companies with knowledge in producing and selling halal products will attend the Global Halal Brazil (GHB) business forum next week, from December 6 to 8, in a hybrid format, alongside halal authorities and global professionals.

Marfrig CEO Miguel Gularte and Seara president Joo Campos are among the confirmed speakers. Lardi & Partner Consulting CEO Kamales Lardi (pictured) of Malaysia will be among the experts.

Brazil is a reliable source of halal animal protein, a market in which the companies operate. The forum aims to propel the country to new heights in the halal market, allowing it to operate in more segments and export halal-certified services and products to a larger number of countries. The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) and the Federation of Muslim Associations in Brazil (FAMBRAS Halal) are organizing the event, which is supported by the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil).

On Tuesday morning, December 7, executives from large Brazilian beef and poultry exporting companies will speak on the panel “Traceability and Trust – Technology for Halal Food Safety.”

However, from the very first day, the event will discuss and bring together the perspectives and assessments of business leaders, government officials, and halal production experts from both Brazil and abroad.

The forum’s three main topics will be:

• Brazil’s role and its opportunities and challenges in halal
• Innovation and technology in halal
• Halal’s connections to sustainability

Participants at the opening event will be:

• President of Apex-Brasil, Augusto Pestana
• President of FAMBRAS Halal, Mohamed Zoghbi
• President of the ABCC, Osmar Chohfi
• Palestinian ambassador and dean of the Council of Arab Ambassadors to Brazil, Ibrahim Alzeben.
• President of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture, of Saudi Arabia (ICCIA), Abdullah Saleh Kamel

During the three days of the event, the speakers and moderators of the sessions will include:

• Manager of International Integration Policies of the Brazilian National Confederation of Industry (CNI), Fabrizio Sardelli Panzini
• CEO of OneAgrix, Diana Sabrain
• Professor Kamola Bayram, from Turkey, named one of the most influential women in Islamic finance in 2020 by Cambridge IFA
• Manager of the Halal Trade & Marketing Centre of the United Arab Emirates, Tomás Guerrero

Orlando Leite Ribeiro, Secretary of Commerce and International Relations of the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply; Alexandre Pea Ghisleni, Director of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Agribusiness Department; Antônio Jorge Camardelli, President of the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association (ABIEC); Marco Tieman, Founder and CEO of LBB International Malaysia; and the CEO of the Islamic Chamber.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the on-site event at the Renaissance Hotel in So Paulo will be limited to a select group of invitees. However, anyone from anywhere in the world will be able to participate in the event via the internet. Simultaneous translation into Portuguese and English will be provided.

The forum will occur from 8:00 am to 1:30 pm BRT, 3:00 pm to 8:30 pm GST.