Halal Certification through Productivity: Strengthening Lao Coffee and Salt for Export Markets

The global halal market is expanding rapidly, driven by rising consumer demand for food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals with halal certification, which is increasingly recognized as a global standard for quality, hygiene, and ethical practices. In Lao PDR, growing tourism and export diversification efforts have increased demand for halal products, particularly salt and coffee, for which the country has strong potential. However, local businesses often face challenges arising from complex regulatory requirements and high certification costs.

In response, the APO Secretariat, in collaboration with the Lao National Productivity Organization, implemented a Development of Demonstration Companies (DMP) project titled Enhancing Productivity for Halal Certification in Lao PDR from December 2024 to December 2025. Three agroprocessing companies, Dao Heuang Group; Somxay Chalern Songserm Karnkased Sole Co., Ltd.; and Veunkham Salt Co., Ltd., participated in the project, guided by two resource persons from Malaysia and three from Vietnam.

As a result of the project, all companies successfully established halal assurance systems integrated with productivity tools such as the seven wastes, 5S, kaizen, and Training Within Industry. They also strengthened hygiene control, workflow management, and resource utilization while fostering a culture of continuous improvement. These efforts led to tangible productivity gains across processing operations and enabled the companies to obtain halal certification for their coffee and salt products. A hybrid conference was held on 14 November 2025 to share the project insights, attracting approximately 120 participants. The project provides practical benchmarks for wider replication among APO members and supports the export of Lao products to Muslim markets.