BANGKOK: The 8th edition of the successful series of exhibitions, “Thailand halal Assembly 2021” was billed as “A Virtual Way to an Actual Halal World” and took place 14-15 December 2021.
The event could be joined both in real-time and afterwards at https://virtualthailandhalalassembly.com. The event made progress for Thai halal and showcased halal-related science and technologies that can be used to create income for Thai people and lift the country’s economy, including pushing plant-based foods to become 100% halal.
Associate Prof Dr Winai Dahlan, Director of the halal Science Center, explained the marketing opportunity of halal products, “Muslim markets play a significant role in the economy due to global population and economic potential. The global population of 7,800 billion comprises 2,000 billion Muslims (29%), and the population is expected to reach 2,800 billion (29.67%) in 2050. Meanwhile, the global market value of halal foods sits at about $1 trillion, or 13 trillion baht. The Thai halal market is worth approximately 40 billion baht from both domestic and international transactions and grew about 10% during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Halal Science Center, Chulalongkorn University, collaborated with the Central Islamic Council of Thailand, the Halal Standard Institute of Thailand, and the Standard and Metrology Institute of Islamic Countries (SMIIC) to bring forth the 8th “Thailand halal Assembly 2021: A Virtual Way To An Actual Halal World”, leading with virtual presentations on the online platform from 14-15 December 2021 at https://virtualthailandhalalassembly.com in compliance with government measures to prevent Covid-19 spread.
The Thailand Halal Assembly comprised:
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- IHSATEC 2021, halal-related science and technology conference 2021, with expert speakers on various topics.
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- 14th HASIB, talks and discussions on the future of halal business, with 48 countries attending.
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- IHSACC2021, seminar on global standards and certification of halal products
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- TIHEX2021, exhibition with more than 100 international halal products displayed
The International Halal Science and Technology Conference (IHSATEC) 2021 and 14th halal Science Industry and Business (HASIB) took place online to encourage learning and knowledge of scientific innovations and technologies to make “halal science” commonly known among Muslim scientists, non-Muslim scientists and the general public. Included in the event were outstanding scientific research and development papers from Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Nigeria, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Thailand.
The International Halal Standard and Certification Convention (IHSACC2021) under the concept “Challenges and Opportunities of Halal Standards and Conformity Assessment Activities after COVID-19: The Next Normal”, 16 experts shared their visions and experiences in regards to “the future of halal industry and business”, with over 48 attending countries.
The Virtual Thailand International Halal Expo 2021, TIHEX2021, brought together over 200 entrepreneurs with more than 100 international standard halal food and beverage, supplements, cosmetics, clothing and fashion products, along with Islamic financial institutes and travel agencies offering a great shopping experience and opportunity to connect with future business opportunities.
A special highlight this year involved “plant-based foods”, alternative protein products made of vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, mushrooms, and seaweed. They undergo manufacturing processes to replicate the taste and appearance of meat. Plant-based foods are expanding, with a current market value of $166 million and steady growth of 10-20%.
While many people believe that all plant-based foods are halal, that is not always the case. At least 186 non-halal ingredients have been detected in plant-based foods so far, largely involving colouring and seasonings. Hence the event clarified this point.
The opening ceremony of Thailand halal Assembly 2021 was honoured to have Alongkorn Ponlaboot, Counsellor to the Minister, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives presiding. He also joined a special discussion on “strategic reformation of Thailand’s halal market to unlock new opportunities and add value to agricultural products” which attracted over 15,000 viewers. The whole event period was attended by at least 50,000 interested parties, boosting halal market growth, with plant-based food entrepreneurs turning 100% halal an especially important component, and saw several Thai startups moving towards unicorn status in the sector.
“The event is passing on halal-based scientific knowledge to help SMEs affected by the pandemic so that they can recover,” concluded Assoc Prof Dr Winai. “Altogether it is going a long way towards improving the economy and developing the sector in accordance with government policy to spread income evenly.”
View a recording of the virtual event at https://virtualthailandhalalassembly.com. For more information, call 02-218-1053 (224) or visit www.Thailandhalalassembly.com, Facebook: Thailand halal Assembly.
© Bangkok Post
