The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Minister Chung Hwang-keun, MAFRA) announced that on November 18th, a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) on halal certification was signed between
the Indonesian Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) and private halal certification bodies in Korea, the Korea Muslim Federation (KMF) and the Korea Halal Authority (KHA), in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Starting from October in 2024, Indonesia plans to mandate halal certification for food items imported and distributed in the country (excluding fresh agricultural produce), as stipulated by the "Law on the Assurance of Halal Products." To prepare for this, mutual recognition of halal certification between Indonesian and Korean certification bodies became necessary.
In December 2019, Korean certification bodies applied for mutual recognition evaluation to the BPJPH, and by December 2022, both document reviews and on-site evaluations were completed. Additionally, to expedite the mutual recognition process, in September 2023, during the Korea-ASEAN Summit, MAFRA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs for cooperation on halal food. The MRA is the result of close collaboration between government and the private sector, including the Korean Embassy in Jakarta.
Through this agreement, Korean agricultural and food companies exporting to Indonesia will be able to export products with Korean private halal certification without obtaining additional certification from the Indonesian Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency. This is expected to broaden the range of options for halal certification and reduce the time and costs associated with certification.
As the obligation for halal certification becomes mandatory in Indonesia next year, agricultural and food export companies without halal certification will need to acquire it. The government plans to support certification costs, counseling, ingredient analysis, etc., through organizations such as the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation and the Korea Food Research Institute (Overseas Food Certification Support Center).
Prior to the signing ceremony for the halal certification mutual recognition agreement, on November 17th in Jakarta, the Ministry held a meeting with representatives from export companies, local distributors,
and consumers to understand market trends, discuss strategies for responding to the mandatory halal certification, and explore opportunities for export expansion.
Director General Yang Joo-pil of the Food Industry Policy Bureau at MAFRA stated, "Indonesia is not only the fourth most populous country in the world but also the largest export destination of Korea among Islamic countries. This MRA on halal certification will greatly assist Korean agricultural and food companies in entering the Indonesian market." He further added, "We will continue to make efforts to support mutual recognition agreements with halal certification bodies in other Islamic countries to expand exports of Korean agricultural and food products."