Indonesia-Australia-New Zealand Hold 2025 Halal Forum to Promote Joint Halal Economic Development

Melbourne - The Halal Product Assurance Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BPJPH RI) held the 2025 Indonesia-Australia-New Zealand Halal Forum in Melbourne, Australia, on July 11, 2025. The event, part of BPJPH's initiative to establish an ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Halal Forum, brought together representatives from 15 foreign Halal bodies (LHLN) in Australia and New Zealand. Representatives from the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Melbourne and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) also attended the forum. The forum provided an opportunity to exchange ideas, share knowledge, and discuss various challenges and opportunities in the field of Halal product assurance cooperation, including mutual recognition of Halal certificates and Halal standardization. The meeting also provided a platform for various LHLN to share their views and perspectives, as well as their commitment to jointly developing Halal trade and industry. "The Australia-New Zealand Halal Forum is an important cross-border Halal forum aimed at strengthening the regional Halal ecosystem and enhancing Indonesia's role in the global Halal economy. This is especially true now that Halal has become a competitive advantage in the global Halal ecosystem. Therefore, the Australia-New Zealand Halal Forum has once again become crucial," said the man widely known as Babe Haikal Hasan in Melbourne on Friday (July 11, 2025). Babe Haikal continued that the enormous influence of Halal standards (represented by Halal certification) is inseparable from the fact that Halal has become a universal standard. Indeed, Halal has transformed into a lifestyle reflecting traceability, credibility, and transparency. As a product standard, Halal food is traceable, trustworthy, and transparent from upstream to downstream. "Halal has become a lifestyle and a modern civilization. Some people in different countries even regard Halal as a symbol of health, cleanliness, and quality," Babe Haikal continued. Babe Haikal further stated that currently, Indonesia's trade in Halal products still lags far behind countries such as China, Brazil, the United States, and France. However, BPJPH remains optimistic about improving the quality and quantity of Indonesia's Halal product exports. Indonesia's Halal-certified products have increased substantially, currently reaching about 7.7 million Halal-certified products. This number will undoubtedly increase as Halal certification becomes mandatory on October 18, 2026. "There is a large amount of Halal trade going on. But we have captured only a small part. ASEAN has nearly 1 billion people, a quarter of whom are in Indonesia. This means that if we take even a small step forward in implementing Halal regulations, we can fulfill the role of bringing Indonesian Halal products to the global community," he added. To seize this important opportunity, the plan to develop a Halal certification system, including harmonizing Halal standards such as ISO, will be the focus and goal of the upcoming BPJPH RI. The forum also successfully facilitated active cooperation among LHLN in the Pacific and Oceania regions, with all participants expressing their commitment to strengthening Halal certification standards and promoting more sustainable growth of the Halal industry and economy. BPJPH RI is ready to lead and guide the harmonization of global Halal standards, create opportunities for a broader Halal trade chain, and ensure the integrity of global Halal products.