Ethical & Halal Sourcing Verification System
This criterion evaluates the robustness and effectiveness of the organization's system for verifying the ethical and Halal compliance of its supply chain. It assesses the organization's commitment to ensuring that all products and services are sourced and produced in accordance with Islamic principles and ethical standards, encompassing fair labor practices, animal welfare (where applicable), environmental sustainability, and the avoidance of haram (forbidden) elements. The evaluation covers the entire supply chain, from raw materials to finished products, and includes processes for supplier selection, auditing, traceability, and continuous improvement. Crucially, this criterion distinguishes between general ethical sourcing (applicable to all archetypes) and specific Halal integrity controls for consumables (food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals). It mandates due diligence to prevent fraud, mislabelling, and exploitation, ensuring the organization acts as a truthful merchant. Governance mechanisms, including Board/Trustee oversight and defined accountability (RACI), ensure that these standards are upheld to block the means (Sadd al-Dhara'i) of corruption or prohibited consumption.
- Does the organization have a designated officer responsible for Halal and ethical integrity, and do they report to the Board/Trustees?
- How does the organization validate the competency and accreditation of the Halal certifiers it accepts?
- What specific due diligence is conducted regarding Modern Slavery and human rights before contracting a supplier?
- Can the organization demonstrate (via records) that it can trace a high-risk ingredient back to source within 4 hours?
- For food/consumable items, is there a documented VACCP/TACCP assessment and a corresponding lab testing plan?
- How are marketing claims (labels, website) approved to ensure they match the scope of valid certificates?
- Halal & Ethical Sourcing Policy and Certifier Approval Procedure.
- Job description for Halal Integrity Officer and RACI matrix.
- Annual Assurance Report to Board/Trustees.
- Supplier Contracts with audit/warranty clauses.
- Modern Slavery Statement (if applicable) or Due Diligence records.
- Traceability test reports showing time-to-trace performance.
- VACCP/TACCP Vulnerability Assessment (for food).
- Lab test results (DNA/Ethanol) from accredited labs (for food).
- Claims Approval Register for labels/marketing assets.
| Level | Rating | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 5/5 | Optimizing: Comprehensive system with >95% high-risk supplier coverage, published integrity results, multi-tier mapping, and industry leadership in ethical standards. |
| 4 | 4/5 | Proactive: Robust system with risk-based audits (High-risk audited annually), validated traceability (<4 hours), and full integration of ethical due diligence. |
| 3 | 3/5 | Defined: Documented system with approved certifier lists, basic traceability for critical ingredients, and regular supplier questionnaires, but lacks deep Tier-2 verification. |
| 2 | 2/5 | Managed: Basic policy exists with ad-hoc checks; reliance on supplier declarations without independent verification; weak contract clauses. |
| 1 | 1/5 | Initial: No formal verification system; reactive approach to sourcing; significant risk of Halal or ethical non-compliance. |
Related Criteria
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📋 **Version updated: 1.0.0 → 2.9.7** **Changes:** Updated islamic_references from mizan-297.json
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