Institutionalizing Distinctiveness: Halal Food Business Evolution and Muslim Integration in Canada

Abstract

The halal food industry is growing exponentially all over the world and it is therefore receiving increasing interest from researchers. In a migratory context, it offers diversification to the host societies, including changing the food industry. Halal food businesses and products are becoming very common within non-Muslim societies, and they are also gaining an important share of markets in the mainstream food industry. To better understand how the halal food business has developed, and what are its particularities and impacts on Muslim communities and their host societies, we studied halal food businesses in Canada. We conducted more than 30 interviews with immigrant entrepreneurs from different countries of origin who started and manage halal food businesses. By employing optimal distinctiveness theory (Brewer, 1991; Zhao et al., 2017), we discovered that the halal food industry in Canada has followed a non-conventional growth process. By examining our data, we developed a model that explains how the halal-food business model evolved over time and how it impacted the integration process of newcomers.