Understanding
Halal Food: A Glimpse ...
People
consume food not only to satisfy hunger but also for cultural, religious and
social reasons. In Islam there is an emphasis on cleanliness in both spirit and
food (Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, 2011), and eating is viewed as a form
of worship (Talib, Hamid, & Chin, 2015). Halal food is based on Islamic
dietary law derived from the Quran, Hadith (the practices of
the Prophet Mohammad), Ijma (a consensus of legal opinion), and Qiyas
(reasoning by analogy) (Regenstein, Chaudry & Regenstein, 2003). Halal goes beyond religious
obligation; it is part of the Islamic way of life which includes not only
dietary requirements, but also behaviour, speech, dress, and conduct (Talib,
Hamid, & Zulfakar,
2015a). Furthermore, observing the tenets of halal can guarantee food safety
and serve a business model for the Canadian export market. The benefit of halal
notwithstanding, the lack of trust in the market has led to challenges such as
authenticity and traceability. This situation affects the different
cultural groups that have migrated to the Canada, especially the Somalis,
Syrians, Pakistanis, Afghanis and other Canadians who are in love with the
taste of halal meat. Based on this premise, there is a need for policies that
will strengthen the value chain of halal food and reduce asymmetric
information.
Objectives
of the research
The
specific objectives of this research are
-To
examine the trend in the production, marketing and consumption of halal meat in
the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
-
To develop a conceptual framework which explains the relationship among
variables such as trust, food safety, religious affiliation, authenticity,
traceability, crypto labelling, government legislation, and consumption with
respect to halal meat.
-To
assess the relationship between trust and traceability regarding halal meat.
-To
identify the factors that affect asymmetric information in the halal meat
sector in the GTA.
Anticipated
significance and impacts of the proposed work
This
study will lead to a better understanding of the halal food landscape, a list
of conditions that ensure trust in the sector, demand estimates and policies
that strengthens the value chain of the halal meat sector. It will benefit
people within and outside the academic sector because it will proffer solutions
on how to reduce asymmetric information in the halal and other food sectors.
Overall, this study will be participatory and enable community based economic
development.
References
Agriculture and
Agri-food Canada. (2011, April). Global pathfinder report: halal food
trends. Ottawa, ON: Government of Canada. Retrieved from https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/market-prices-and-statistics/food-and-value-added-agriculture-statistics/pubs/halal_market_pathfinder_en.pdf.
Regenstein J.
M, Chaudry M. M & C. E. Regenstein (2003) The Kosher and Halal Food
Laws. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 2:
111-127.
Talib, M. S.
A., Hamid, A. B. A., & Zulfakar, M. H. (2015a). Halal supply
chain critical success factors: a literature review. Journal of
Islamic Marketing, 6(1), 44-71. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/docview/1661301737?rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo
Bamidele Adekunle, ECVOntario, SEDRD,
University of Guelph