Colombia secures halal certification to export coffee and cocoa to Arab markets
Colombia has obtained halal certification for its coffee and cocoa exports, paving the way for broader access to Muslim-majority markets, President Gustavo Petro announced during a visit to Riyadh on the first leg of his Middle East tour.
“This certification will allow peasant farmers and their cooperatives to trade their coffee production directly with the Arab world,” Petro said in a post on X, adding that the move supports government efforts to shift rural economies away from illicit coca cultivation.
The certification, granted under Islamic dietary and production standards, is intended to remove barriers for Colombian exporters in markets where halal compliance is mandatory for food imports. It also aligns with the government’s strategy to diversify export destinations beyond the United States, Colombia’s primary trading partner for more than a century.
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Muhammad Ali Bandial