Muhammad Ridha Payne on why he and his family stopped eating Halal-certified meats: "If one sees the conditions they are born, bred and die in, it would horrify anyone with a good heart."

There is no question that the European Halal market is a viable and untapped emerging market. The question of how best to access it is a more complex problem.

Halal and Islamic finance industries are effectively the twin cornerstones of the Halal Market economy. By this, we are referring to a dynamic market arena for Halal products and services, trading according to halal transactions and contracts, using – ultimately – halal currencies.

“There is a convergence of common interest – religious, political, economic, social – that is now clustering around the concept of Halal, and all that it implies, and these interests show all the signs of building into a perfect storm.”

The interest and demand for Halal-certified products and services continues to increase across global markets, making Halal not just a religious obligation, but also a powerful market force.

Industry players are now competing to get a significant share of the halal industry market in Europe which has a population of 51.2 million Muslims.