Poland stands as one of the EU' largest halal meat producer
In 2020, Poland exported meat and meat products worth about €5 billion, of which almost a third was kosher and halal meat. "Poland, as one of the biggest beef producers in the European Union, responds not only to European consumers that need beef slaughtered in line with religious requirements but also to those outside Europe," The president of the Polish Association of Beef Cattle Breeders and Producers (PZPBM), Jacek Zarzeck, told Notes from Poland. In addition to the major export destinations for the ritually slaughtered meat up till now, such as Germany, France, Spain, the UK, and Israel, he said there was growing interest from the United Arab Emirates. So far, the biggest markets for Polish halal and kosher meat exporters are Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Israel.
Beef exports from Poland in 2019 were valued at €1.5 billion, of which one-third was covered by meat that came from ritual slaughter. The share is even larger in the poultry industry, with almost half of the exports being certified as kosher or halal.
However, this advantage may soon disappear if a ban on ritual slaughter is to be imposed as part of animal-rights legislation. This bars stunning of an animal before slaughter, which takes place through a cut to the throat after which it bleeds out – a practice which critics say is cruel. The issue is discussed by Polish political actors for almost 10 years now and is presumed to give an advantage for big farming companies, which can afford to deal with changing regulations. Most EU members generally allow a religious exception to the rule that animals should be stunned before slaughter, but a number of countries, including Denmark, Sweden, and Slovenia, do not.
Meantime, the European market for halal meat products is expected to grow annually by 20%, according to an outlook released by the Halal Verif association, a French NGO that issues halal labels.
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