Islam and Food Systems: Position Paper

Food plays cultural and spiritual roles for Muslims. The Qur’an makes special references to pure and lawful food and to the principles of balance, justice and health. However, our current extractive approach to food and development have led to injustices against our fragile environment and ecosystems. We present an Islamic perspective on our current food systems, that focuses on balance and health. Islam promotes the ethical production, transport and consumption of food that goes beyond halal designations only. We propose the promotion of halal and tayyib foods and food systems that promote these concepts, and encourage the implementation of farming practices with guidance from Qur’an and Sunnah.