Maqasid-Based Bioprospecting; The Case of Agarwood in The Halalan Toyyiban Product Development

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the concepts and values of Maqasid al-shariah in bioprospecting. The activities of bioprospecting are not new and have been well established in various industries ranging from pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing to biomining and nanotechnology. Bioprospecting is the discovery of biodiversity for new biological resources of social and economic value. Although the premises of bioprospecting are known to be closely tied to sustainability and conservation of biodiversity, to the best of our knowledge, there are no discussions on bioprospecting from the perspective of Maqasid. This paper explores this relationship with a focus on agarwood, a non-timber forest product (NTFP) that has been traded for centuries. Over the years, agarwood has been subjected to bioprospecting and is increasingly being used as a material in the development of halalan toyyiban products.