Blockchain and IoT for Halal Supply-Chain Traceability: A Sharia-Compliance and Implementation Framework

Abstract

Halal integrity is a matter of trust in a chain that consumers cannot inspect. Certification, standards and audits exist to supply that trust, yet fraud, mislabelling and cross-contamination remain documented problems, and the supply chains that carry halal products are long, international and paper-heavy. Blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT) are increasingly proposed as remedies, but the literature on them treats halal mainly as a product attribute to be tracked and pays little attention to what technology can and cannot decide under the Sharia. This paper proposes a Sharia-compliance and implementation framework for blockchain-and-IoT traceability in halal supply chains. Using an analytical synthesis of research on halal supply-chain management, halal standards, blockchain traceability, IoT sensing and technology adoption, it sets out compliance requirements, a four-layer architecture, rules on the division of labour between code and qualified human authorities, and a data-governance approach that limits on-chain data. A phased roadmap and pilot indicators are proposed for halal exporters, including smaller firms. The central argument is that technology can make the evidence for a halal claim harder to falsify, but it cannot determine halal status, and that the design must therefore keep certifiers and Sharia supervisors in charge of judgement. The framework is conceptual and has not been tested in a live supply chain.