We first started exporting our organic beef to international markets like the USA back in 1997 -- it was around this time that we started to realize the growing importance of the global Muslim market and specifically the need for Halal beef production.
Within Islam there is a division between what is haram — forbidden — and what is halal — permissible.
These twin concepts — haram and halal — bracket all aspects of Muslim life. They pertain to behavior broadly, but also to behavior at mealtimes specifically.
There are specific foods that are haram — such as alcohol and pork.
Halal when it comes to food refers to not only a list of what is permissible to eat, but also to the way that food is prepared. This issue of preparation is especially important when it comes to meat.
Animals meant to produce halal meat must eat an all natural diet and must be slaughtered in a particular manner. (You can find an example of halal guidelines here.)
While gaining halal certification means farmers and ranchers must meet a strict set of standards, many are seeking the certification in order to tap into the 300 billion dollar halal meat market.
Among them is Australia’s OBE Organic.
The company grazes cattle on 27-thousand square miles of land in the middle of Australia. The cattle is grass-fed and free range — destined for the global halal beef market.
Muslim Voices Managing Editor Rosemary Pennington talked with OBE General Manager — Hong Kong Dalene Wray about the company’s move into halal beef production.
Rosemary Pennington: How is it your company decided to raise organic cattle? What are the benefits of raising cattle in this manner?
Dalene Wray: As we did our market research, we found that organic, sustainable farming and offering certified organic beef was increasingly important to consumers here at home and around the world. Our own belief in the importance of organic farming, paired with the growing consumer demand, prompted our decision to become certified organic.
Earning the organic certification is a long, stringent process, but we believe it’s completely worth it. One of the many benefits of organic farming is that it ensures a process whereby the soil is kept in fertile condition without adding artificial fertilizers.
For us, raising and harvesting organic beef means that our cattle that create OBE Organic beef will always be free-ranging in the pristine Channel Country grasslands, in the heart of the Australian Outback.
Our cattle are never concentrated into feedlots and live stress-free, healthy and robust, ensuring consumers receive juicy, tender and superior tasting beef with the world’s highest safety and nutritional qualities.
Being organic ensures the pastures are grazed to a point where the grasses can regenerate from rootstock instead of the long regeneration from seeds.
When generating pastures from seeds all the time, the soil has time to blow and wash away when there is no grass to cover the soil. Growing pasture from tuffs of grass, it ensures there is an organic mulch to replenish the soil; hence we achieve organic sustainability with our soil.
Watch our short video, “Nature’s Perfect Farm,” to get a better sense of how we incorporate organic and sustainable farming practices.
RP: When did you begin producing halal beef? What lead you to make that decision?
DW: We first started exporting our organic beef to international markets like the USA back in 1997 — it was around this time that we started to realize the growing importance of the global Muslim market and specifically the need for Halal beef production.
The Australian meat industry, namely Meat & Livestock Australia, have been very forward thinking in terms of addressing the unmet needs of the global Muslim community. It just made sense for us and for Australian meat producers as a whole.
RP: Was it difficult to transition into producing halal beef?
DW: Earning Halal certification is certainly not easy — there are a lot of strict criteria to adhere to, and also substantial costs involved in adapting to Halal procedures.
Australia in general though is known internationally for its strict guidelines in the meat and livestock industry in areas such as food safety and cleanliness, so I guess you could say we’re used to following strict criteria.
RP: You are a global supplier of organic beef, is there much of a market for halal beef in Australia?
DW: The Muslim community in Australia is estimated to be less than 2% of the population so the market is still quite small here. We do however hear a growing demand for Halal and organic beef here at home, so we look forward to serving the needs of more Muslim consumers here in Australia as well.
RP: What’s your largest market for halal beef?
DW: Out all of the many export markets that we’re in, the Middle East in general is our company’s biggest market for Halal beef. We’re in supermarkets such as Carrefour in the United Arab Emirates.
The USA however is also a growing market for us as on a regular basis we hear from American Muslim consumers that they are seeking out certified organic and Halal beef. Our beef products are exclusively sold at Fairway Market stores in the northeast USA – New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
More and more we hear from American Muslims that they want not only Halal certified beef, but organic, GMO-free beef.
RP: What percentage of your operations are focused on halal beef production?
DW: One hundred percent of our cattle are processed and certified Halal. This allows us to pick any volume of product for sale to a Halal market if we so desire. We are not limited by our supply this way, and we can be very flexible to varying demand from week to week.
You can find OBE Organic on Facebook and Twitter.
