Muslim Growth Is Good For Muslim Businesses, Marketing

Muslim consumers are growing in the U.S. and they have money to spend. Now, businesses are starting to take notice.

"The emerging American Muslim market is perhaps the new area that a lot of businesses ... are starting to look into," said Rafi-uddin Shikoh, Managing Director and Founder of DinarStandard, a marketing research firm specializing in the emerging Muslim market.

Shikoh said his New York-based firm conducted research in 2011 on the Muslim marketplace and found that, while Muslims are just as hard to categorize as other groups, there are plenty of opportunities for different industries -- food, retail and finance -- to reach them.

With an estimated disposable income of between $107 billion and $124 billion, Muslim Americans are realizing they can use their size to influence the market, he said. If a business offers Halal food products, for example, Muslim consumers will pick that business over the others. "There are these unique things that businesses are not realizing but there's an opportunity for that," he said at a recent forum sponsored by the American Islamic Congress.

The Pew Research Center conducted a survey last year on Muslim Americans and estimated a population of about 2.8 million Muslims in the U.S., and they're growing thanks in part to a higher fertility rate than other Americans.

While the exact number of American Muslims has been disputed, the general consensus in the business world is that the majority of the growing Muslim consumers are young, middle class and misunderstood. Pew also found that U.S. Muslims (14 percent) roughly mirror the general population (16 percent) on the percentage of households with annual incomes of $100,000 or more.

Businesses now want to connect with this new market, said Sarab Al-Jijakli, account director at Ogilvy Noor, a boutique subsidiary of the Ogilvy & Mather global ad agency, which specializes in the emerging Muslim marketplace.

"Many brands are playing catch-up," Al-Jijakli said at the forum.

Arsalan Iftikhar, a contributing editor for Islamica magazine and author of "Islamic Pacifism: Global Muslims in the Post-Osama Era," said the American Muslim growth trend line is positive and he is glad American businesses are seeing the potential of selling products to a "previously untapped minority population."

"I think it is quite heartening that our nation's corporate and business leaders are beginning to notice our community as an up-and-coming minority group within America today," he said.

The racially and ethnically diverse Muslim population in the U.S. is concerned about the same issues as everyone else, like jobs, the economy and health care, said John Pinna, the AIC's director of government and international relations. But, like other immigrant groups, they're also looking for ways to participate in society.

And in America, that often means shopping.

"Now we're looking for products, we're looking to participate in the democratic process and we're this young population that's hungry to be noticed," said Pinna, an Afghan-American Muslim.

"The American Muslim community isn't really extraordinary at all," he said. "It's just that it's now starting to be noticed."

PAKISTAN: Pak food brands set to make UAE foray

Pakistan’s food industry is poised to lead in the UAE 
market as major brands are expected to make forays into the country this year, Khaleej Times has learnt. Pakistani food companies made inroads to the UAE market at the Gulfood exhibition in February. The major groups held fruitful meetings at the exhibition and they will start launching their products from June onward, according to industry insiders. K&N’s Foods (private) Limited, a leading name in poultry and meat products in Pakistan, is expected to market its products in the UAE by June. Brands in 
edible oil like Sufi Cooking Oil and Habib Oil, leading herbal trademark Qarshi and confectionery products leader Hilal, among others are also planning to enter the UAE food market this year.

New analysis highlights importance of limiting industrial livestock production to improve personal and environmental health.

Global meat production and consumption have increased rapidly in recent decades, with harmful effects on the environment and public health as well as on the economy, according to research done by Worldwatch Institute's Nourishing the Planet project for Vital Signs Online. Worldwide meat production has tripled over the last four decades and increased 20 percent in just the last 10 years. Meanwhile, industrial countries are consuming growing amounts of meat, nearly double the quantity than in developing countries.

"Much of the vigorous growth in meat production is due to the rise of industrial animal agriculture, or factory farming," said Danielle Nierenberg, Worldwatch senior researcher and director of Nourishing the Planet. "Factory farms pollute the environment through the heavy use of inputs such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers used for feed production.

Large-scale meat production also has serious implications for the world's climate. Animal waste releases methane and nitrous oxide, greenhouse gases that are 25 and 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide, respectively. "The world's supersized appetite for meat is among the biggest reasons greenhouse gas emissions are still growing rapidly," said Worldwatch President Robert Engelman. "Yet properly managed and scaled meat production ----like the kind pursued by small-scale pastoralists on dry grasslands----could actually sequester carbon dioxide. It's largely a matter of rethinking meat at both ends of the production-consumption trail."

Dirty, crowded conditions on factory farms can propagate sickness and disease among the animals, including swine influenza (H1N1), avian influenza (H5N1), foot-and-mouth disease, and mad-cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy). These diseases not only translate into enormous economic losses each year ----the United Kingdom alone spent 18 to 25 billion dollars in a three-year period to combat foot-and-mouth disease----but they also lead to human infections.

Mass quantities of antibiotics are used on livestock to reduce the impact of disease, contributing to antibiotic resistance in animals and humans alike. Worldwide, 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in 2009 were used on livestock and poultry, compared to only 20 percent used for human illnesses. Antibiotics that are present in animal waste leach into the environment and contaminate water and food crops, posing a serious threat to public health.

The amount of meat in people's diets has an impact on human health as well. Eaten in moderation, meat is a good source of protein and of important vitamins and nutrients such as iron, zinc, and vitamins B3, B6, and B12. But a diet high in red and processed meats can lead to a host of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Eating organic, pasture-raised livestock can alleviate chronic health problems and improve the environment. Grass-fed beef contains less fat and more nutrients than its factory-farmed counterpart and reduces the risk of disease and exposure to toxic chemicals. Well-managed pasture systems can improve carbon sequestration, reducing the impact of livestock on the planet. And the use of fewer energy-intensive inputs conserves soil, reduces pollution and erosion, and preserves biodiversity.  

"Pastoral farming systems, especially in developing countries, improve food security and sustain the livelihoods of millions of farmers worldwide," said Nierenberg. "Eating less meat and supporting pastoralist communities at every level is essential to combat the destructive trend of factory farms."

Further Highlights from the Research:

·         Pork is the most widely consumed meat in the world, followed by poultry, beef, and mutton.

·         Poultry production is the fastest growing meat sector, increasing 4.7 percent in 2010 to 98 million tons.

·         Worldwide, per capita meat consumption increased from 41.3 kilograms in 2009 to 41.9 kilograms in 2010. People In the developing world eat 32 kilograms of meat a year on average, compared to 80 kilograms per person in the industrial world.

·         Of the 880 million rural poor people living on less than $1 per day, 70 percent are partially or completely dependent on livestock for their livelihoods and food security.

·         Demand for livestock products will nearly double in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, from 200 kilocalories per person per day in 2000 to some 400 kilocalories in 2050.

·         Raising livestock accounts for roughly 23 percent of all global water use in agriculture, equivalent to 1.15 liters of water per person per day.

·         Livestock account for an estimated 18 percent of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, producing 40 percent of the world's methane and 65 percent of the world's nitrous oxide.

·         Seventy-five percent of the antibiotics used on livestock are not absorbed by the animals and are excreted in waste, posing a serious risk to public health.

·         An estimated 11 percent of deaths in men and 16 percent of deaths in women could be prevented if people decreased their red meat consumption to the level of the group that ate the least.

·         Eating organic, pasture-raised animals can be healthier and environmentally beneficial compared to industrial feedlot systems.

World Halal Forum 2012 - Cultivating a Universal Halal Lifestyle

The 7th World Halal Forum (WHF) started on 2 April with Deputy Prime Minister, YAB Tan Sri Muhyiddin Hj Mohd Yassin officially launching the annual forum at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. The two-day forum attracted the participation of 720 delegates and over 35 speakers. With participants and speakers from over 36 countries, WHF 2012 provides a stirring platform for a stimulating discussion on the USD800 billion worth Halal industry. Tan Sri Muhyiddin Hj Mohd Yassin, in his keynote address, praised the World Halal Forum for its efforts in emphasizing on a universal appeal on Halal principles and for leveraging on creative channels like the arts, media and entertainment in spreading good values. Tan Sri Muhyiddin also stated that the new generation of Muslim youths are asking for more value out of Halal and not just mere compliance to its standards. Established in 2006, WHF has since become part of the Malaysian government's 15-year plan to become the world's Halal hub. With this year's theme "INSPIRE, INNOVATE, INVEST", WHF 2012 goes beyond its usual exploration of business perspectives and reached out towards the grassroots with its primary focus on consumer issues, as well as helping the industry's understanding on its beneficial values, to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

UNITED KINGDOM: And not a woggle in sight - the new Scout uniform for Muslim girls

The Scouts have designed a special uniform for Muslim girls to cater for their growing female membership. A hoodie dress and a T-shirt dress which ‘encapsulate the adventurous spirit of Scouting’ are now available to attract recruits from Muslim families. It is hoped that the new uniforms will allow the movement to build on its growing popularity with girls. Around one in six of the 400,000 UK Scouts is a girl.

UNITED KINGDOM: ‘Cruel’ Halal slaughter methods under attack

British ministers are seeking to change a law to ensure that meat slaughtered using Islamic, or Halal, methods cannot be sold without proper labelling. “unwitting members of the public” are being served Halal meat “secretly” in schools, hospitals, pubs and famous sporting venues, claiming that many in Britain deem the traditional Islamic way of preparing meat as “cruel,” including animal rights campaigners. Like Jewish kosher slaughter, the Halal method requires the butcher to kill the animal by slitting its throat, ensuring the animal is not stunned first to lessen its ordeal. Muslims are adamant that the Halal method ensures the least amount of pain possible for an animal, and is in accordance to animal welfare measures.

Bright future for Halal personal care

With a worldwide recession looming, the Halal sector is one of the few industries bucking the trend fuelled by savvy consumers increasingly demanding purity of ingredients in their personal care products.Not only is the Halal sector not affected by the recession, it has followed its own growth path, with the Institute for Personal Care Science of Australia valuing the global Halal Cosmetics market at a staggering $13 billion and growing. Muslims and non-Muslims alike are inspecting ingredients with a keen eye and making buying decisions based on purity of the products they use on their skin. Consumers across the spectrum read labels for ingredients and have become increasingly smart about what goes into their skin care, shampoo, toothpaste, hair dyes and cosmetics. By the same token, there is little difference in the Halal sector, where consumers want products which take both health and religious compliance into consideration and therefore are certified as Halal. The case for organic has been made. Today the growing demand for Halal products is following suit. 

Demystifying economic behaviour: An Islamic perspective

Humans are much more than utility maximizing machines. They are capable of using both material rationality and moral rationality to differentiate right from wrong and need reinforcement to adopt virtues influenced by an inner urge other than just material interests.

This inner urge can be reawakened by looking beyond utility maximization models to re-acknowledge the principal fact that humans are moral being than just an instrument for maximum material advancement for self.

The unbridled pursuit of greed also requires some external source of guidance than mere reliance on material animalistic instincts of a human soul. Religion provides the ethical check and call to balance material pursuits with attention to misery of the underprivileged people.

Islamic Economics and its knowledge sources, i.e. Quran and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) providing the foundation for Islamic Economics address directly the heart and remind the human being of his freedom in choosing actions and that he/she is expected to use that freedom in the manner that makes him/her worthy of eternal and complete happiness in life hereafter. This belief provides a permanent incentive to righteous behaviour even if it does not get rewarded in this life and it also provides a permanent check on wrong behaviour even if it is not codified and prohibited by the worldly institutions and law.This brings in the dynamic model of life a sea of change and truly impacts a human’s heart. It also influences the actions and reinvigorates the spirit of sacrifice and sparkles the moral being in a human.

Macroeconomists have strong disagreements for the economic explanation of events in the short run than in the long run. In the long run, there is lesser disagreement. But, if we consider the model of life in the long run, there will be no disagreement. Life, humans and their behaviour in social context has a lot of complexities which are difficult to model mathematically. But, life’s complex realities still has a deterministic end, which is relevant for all.

Everyone that comes in this world is determined to die and then be answerable for his/her actions. There is no error term to subscribe to. The model of this worldly life is in the perfect perusal of the Creator, Who knows everything as He built everything. There is no error possible in Allah’s judgment of us. We are the one responsible for our own parameters. These parameters are not exogenous to the model of life. We, performing different roles in our lives, are the ones controlling them. It is an awesome power to have it, but it is not without responsibility as it should not have been.History of economic man is fascinating. He has used the nature’s blessings to find and create new and innovative ways of maximizing utility. But, nonetheless, at all points in time, he does not feel satiated. He remains poor ‘relatively’ to the limitless desires and nature’s limitations. The dream of being absolutely apart only remains a dream in everyone’s life. But, then, everyone achieves it one day. There is one place that everyone reaches where he is not accompanied by anyone. It’s his or her grave. Belief in life hereafter is the only thing that gives meaning to this world and life and this is the most important pillar of Islamic Economics.

MALAYSIA: HDC Pakistan to organize Halal Compliance training for Pakistani companies to pre-qualify them for exports to Malaysia.

An MOU of cooperation was signed last week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during the Pakistan-Malaysia Business forum that was attended by 22 member Pakistani delegations, headed by Mr Tariq Puri, Chief Executive of TDAP. Halal Development Council (HDC Pakistan), a not-profit NGO registered in Pakistan for the development of Halal Economy and to facilitate export promotion of Pakistani Certified Halal products signed this MOU with the Islamic Food Research Centre Asia, a member of the World Halal Council, specializing in Halal Audit, Research and Training, according to Shari’ah and as per Malaysian and International Halal Standards.

Burnt bone-free 'Halal sugar' heads to Middle East

Muslims in the Middle East will soon be able to sweeten their coffee and cakes with Halal sugar guaranteed to be free from burnt animal bone powder. Keen to tap a booming market dominated by meat slaughtered in accordance with Islamic rituals, one of India's largest sugar sellers is bagging up Halal-branded sweetener made without any powdered cow bones used by some sugar refiners.

Organic Halal meat to hit shelves

Shoppers will be able to buy organic Halal meat in supermarkets within three months. It will be available in Carrefour hypermarkets across the country and some independent butchers in Dubai. Organic Halal meat has been available only from hotels and restaurants. OBE Organic, an Australian family business, plans to ship 500 kilograms of the meat each month, starting from the end of March. The company soon hopes to increase that to 1,300kg.

Organic Halal meat to hit shelves

By The Halal Journal Newsdesk (Source: The National) published 12 hours ago

Original Article Source: The National
By Caline Malek

Shoppers will be able to buy organic Halal meat in supermarkets within three months.

It will be available in Carrefour hypermarkets across the country and some independent butchers in Dubai. Organic Halal meat has been available only from hotels and restaurants.

OBE Organic, an Australian family business, plans to ship 500 kilograms of the meat each month, starting from the end of March. The company soon hopes to increase that to 1,300kg.

"Consumers in the UAE are learning about the benefits of a new organic lifestyle," said Dalene Wray, the company's regional manager in Asia and daughter of the chairman, David Brook.

"They understand that they have choices and can choose to make organic food a part of their daily diet."

Mr Brook heads a cooperative of Australian farmers with 25,000 head of cattle and more than 7 million hectares of grazing pasture - an area almost as big as the UAE.

The area is in the rich Channel Country, mostly in the north-east state of Queensland but spreading into the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales. The animals are slaughtered in a certified organic abattoir in Brisbane.

OBE's Halal certification has been approved by the Government.

"It is important that we provide the opportunity to consumers to have access to our clean, safe, Halal organic beef from Australia," said Ms Wray.

The company already exports meat to Kuwait, Egypt, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and North America.

"We will start with Carrefour in Dubai's Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Centre, and Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi," said Dariush Rakhshani, the manager of the meat's local distributor, Country Hill International.

"It will also be sold at some independent butchers' shops in Dubai, such as Prime Gourmet on Sheikh Zayed Road."

Organic food has grown in popularity in the UAE over the past few years.

"Overall, organic is a good way to go," said Stephanie Karl, a nutritionist at the Dubai London Clinic. "It's not always practical or available … organic food is a luxury but a great choice."

Pakistan will host an International Conference on Halal Industry

Constituents from 14 countries are participating in this conference whereas Chief Minister – Govt. of Punjab, Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will inaugurate the conference

29-12-2011 

 (Lahore) An international conference for the promotion of Halal Industry is going to be held on 16 – 17 January, 2012 in Pearl Continent Hotel, Lahore in which constituents from 14 countries like Malaysia, China, America, Russia, South Africa, Mauritius, UK, and UAE etc. shall participate. The conference would be inaugurated by Chief Minister –Govt. of Punjab, Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. The conference is jointly organized by Halal Research Council and Agriculture & Meat Company (PAMCO), Govt. of Punjab. The purpose behind arranging this conference is to take international Halal Industry in confidence for the sake of promoting Pakistan’s Halal Market, which costs USD 3 trillion. Pakistan is an agricultural country and due to its excellent Livestock and 100% Halal Products, it has an opportunity to be introduced as a Halal Products leader, through which Foreign Exchange can be increased by minimizing the trade deficit of Pakistan, which is the basic need right now.

While throwing light upon this conference, Mr. Zubair Mughal, Chief Executive Officer, Halal Research Council said that Pakistan is the only country in which 100% Halal products and Meat is available, due to which Pakistan has a unique position in Halal Industry. By taking advantage of this, we can market our products in International market which values USD 3 trillion. He further added that in this conference, many topics like the importance of Halal Market, Halal Banking and Finance, Halal Industrial Estate, opportunities of International Investment in Pakistan, Halal Certification etc. would be discussed. The conference is being supported by 11 Halal bodies of Pakistan, Pakistan Chamber of Commerce, Trade associations and agricultural universities.

In this conference, His Eminence, Dr. Mustufa Ceric, The Grand Mufti, Bosnia, Kavilash Chawla, Managing Director, Nur Global Strategies, Chicago, U.S.A, Riad Parvez Hullemuth, Chief Executive Officer, Nile Plus, Mauritius, Dr. Haja sittie shayma zenaida p. Hadji raof laidan, Regional Director, Department/ Ministry of Science and Technology- XII, PHILIPPINES, Dr. Muhammed Munir Chaudry, Chief Executive Officer, IFANCA, USA, Dr. Rana Muhammad Ayyub, PhD. Scholar (Halal food Marketing), University of Hull, UK, Alaa Kamal, Regional Representative– Middle East, Islamic Services of America (I.S.A.), Dubai, Prof. Dr. Javaid A Awan, Country Director Pakistan, Islamic Food & Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA), USA, Dr. Winai Dahlan, Founder/Director, Halal Science Center, Thailand, Sarfraz Mohammad, Auditor, Halal Monitoring Committee, United Kingdom, Dr Kakha Nadiradze, President, Association for Farmers Rights Defense, AFRD, Georgia, Justice (R) Khalil ur Rehman, Shariah Advisor, AlBaraka Bank Pakistan Ltd. And Dr Hamid Jalil, Chief Executive Officer, Punjab Agriculture and Meat Company (PAMCO) Lahore – Pakistan would contribute their knowledge.

For further details: http://www.halalrc.org/halalconferece2012/