Sustainability in halal food supply chains: A systematic review from an Islamic ethical perspective

This study synthesises and reconceptualises sustainability in halal food supply chains by positioning Islamic ethical principles as a governance-oriented ethical order rather than as a procedural extension of conventional sustainability frameworks. A systematic literature review was conducted using the Scopus database without publication year restrictions. The initial search yielded 396 publications, of which 63 peer-reviewed articles were retained following title, abstract, and full-text screening and analysed through thematic synthesis. The findings indicate that sustainability in halal food supply chain research is conceptualised in fragmented and inconsistent ways, most commonly through certification, traceability, and assurance mechanisms. Although economic, social, and environmental dimensions are widely addressed, Islamic ethical principles are generally embedded implicitly within compliance structures rather than articulated as explicit organising logics. As a result, sustainability is operationalised primarily through technical and procedural mechanisms, with limited attention to ethical coordination, accountability, and responsibility across supply chain actors. The analysis reconceptualises Islamic sustainability as a value-based ethical order grounded in moral obligation, stewardship, and accountability that governs intention, process, and coordination across halal food supply chains. This perspective clarifies the distinctiveness of Islamic sustainability from conventional sustainability approaches and highlights the need to move beyond compliance-oriented practices towards ethics-based sustainability governance. The study contributes to halal supply chain scholarship by providing a clearer conceptual foundation for understanding sustainability from an Islamic perspective.