Ḥalāl Certification in Indonesia’s Logistics Sector: A Phenomenological Inquiry into the Lived Experiences of Logistics Company Owners

Abstrak

This study examines how logistics company owners in Indonesia experience, interpret, and negotiate the obligation of ḥalāl certification following the enactment of the ḥalāl Product Assurance Law. While previous studies have predominantly focused on consumer-oriented sectors such as food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, the logistics sector remains underexplored despite its strategic role in safeguarding the integrity of the ḥalāl supply chain. Employing a phenomenological approach, this study draws on in-depth interviews with 21 logistics company owners to capture their lived experiences and meaning-making processes related to ḥalāl certification. The findings indicate that ḥalāl certification is primarily perceived as a regulatory requirement aimed at securing formal state legitimacy rather than as a response to market demand, as service users tend to prioritize efficiency, accuracy, and safety over certification status. Organizational adaptation to ḥalāl standards is therefore implemented selectively, mainly when serving industrial clients bound by mandatory ḥalāl supply chain regulations. Key challenges identified include financial burdens, limited human resources, procedural ambiguity, and the uneven readiness of inspection institutions. Overall, the study demonstrates that legitimacy in the logistics sector remains largely regulatory in nature, with pragmatic and cognitive legitimacy still weakly developed. These findings highlight the need for greater regulatory harmonization and institutional capacity-building to support a more proportionate and context-sensitive implementation of ḥalāl certification in logistics services.