Authors : Firdhanelis Dwi Artanti, Eulis Ardiyanti, Muhammad Pasya Fitra P., Rizki Ananda
Reviewers : Farid Al-Firdaus, Dinda Ganisawati Javada, Diah Ilmi Rizqiana
Does gastrodiplomacy support Indonesia achieve its 2045 vision?
Gastrodiplomacy is a part of public diplomacy and cultural diplomacy in terms of increasing appreciation, introducing cuisine culture, and providing tools to improve a country’s image. The primary goal of gastrodiplomacy is to increase one country’s income by involving the promotional aspect to support the spread of that nation’s cultural influence (GNFI, 2021). As Indonesian cuisines gain popularity, the opportunity to improve the quality of restaurants that serve authentic Indonesian cuisine on a global scale grows. By enhancing gastrodiplomacy, Indonesia’s positive national branding is more likely to be realised, paving the way for the country to achieve its 2045 vision pillar of sustainable economic development to accelerate industry and tourism.
Gastrodiplomacy is the strategic use of cuisine in influencing perceptions of a nation. It is positioned within the public diplomacy spectrum, and the intersections among food, tourism and diplomacy – in theory and practice – are investigated. The roles of food and tourism in nation branding are explored, leading to a detailed exposition on the multiple ways in which tourism is implicated in national gastrodiplomacy campaigns, as well as in grassroots “citizen diplomacy” involving food (Suntikul, 2017).
How is Indonesia’s current gastrodiplomacy developing?
Many Indonesian cuisines have already gained international recognition for their taste quality. Rendang and Nasi Goreng are two of the most famous, having been named the most delicious foods in the world by international media in the last decade (CNN Indonesia, 2022). Indonesia’s culinary industry has also contributed nearly 40% of Indonesia’s GDP to the creative economy (Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, 2022). This shows that the culinary industry in Indonesia already has enormous potential for expansion.
The Indonesian government initiated the gastrodiplomacy process by introducing various types of national food at the KTT G20 in Bali (Media Indonesia, 2023). The government has also prepared a matrix outlining the nation’s action plan. The first culinary strategy of Indonesia is through the “Indonesia Spice Up The World” campaign in 2024 as a medium of Indonesia’s gastrodiplomacy approach abroad. This campaign plays an important role in developing the national culinary brand. So that the country’s culinary image, which is based on spice and seasoning, can be more global (article on indonesia.go.id, 2022).
Despite the appealing aspects of Indonesian cuisine, the country still faces some challenges in achieving strong gastrodiplomacy status. One of them is the slow progress of the Indonesian culinary industry. This can be seen in the low popularity of Indonesian restaurants in comparison to restaurants in other Asian countries such as Japan and Thailand, to name a few. In 2016, the Indonesian minister of tourism stated that the total number of Indonesian restaurants abroad had only reached 100 units, far less than Thailand, which had already reached around 12 thousand units abroad (Detikcom, 2016).
One of the reasons for this challenge is that Indonesia’s raw material supply that has been exported is still relatively low and has not yet become one of the country’s main export commodities (Databooks, 2022). The low rate of raw material export, which is dominated by spices, is due to a number of factors, including a lack of spice cultivation and rejection by some countries due to high aflatoxin levels in Indonesian spices (Republika, 2020). Food safety has been a concern in Indonesia for the past two decades, as evidenced by the recording of 110 RASFF notifications related to mycotoxin contamination. The majority of these cases involved aflatoxin and ochratoxin A contamination of nutmeg products. The World Health Organization has identified aflatoxin, a mycotoxin that has the potential to stimulate the emergence of cancer in the future, as a major concern (WHO, 2023). Because of these factors, Indonesian restaurants in other countries have had difficulty serving the widely popular Indonesian cuisine.
Another factor contributing to this challenge is the lack of an Indonesian community abroad, in contrast to other countries such as Thailand, Korea, and China, which already have a strong community base that makes it easier for them to import raw materials from their home country (Liputan 6, 2019).
This phenomenon shows that Indonesian cuisine has the potential to be one of the nation’s greatest gastrodiplomacy strengths on the global stage. However, the lack of popularity and promotion of Indonesian culinary businesses abroad has become one of the challenges for the government to overcome in order to continue operating the gastrodiplomacy mission.
What steps can Indonesia take to enhance its gastrodiplomacy?
- Increasing overseas restaurant capacity through the franchise model
In line with the gastrodiplomacy campaign “Indonesia Spice Up The World,” the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf) aims to have 4,000 Indonesian restaurants abroad by 2024. There are currently 1,301 restaurants, and one strategy that the government can use to achieve this goal is to use the franchise model. When compared to establishing new restaurants, the franchise model has the benefit of standardized operational manuals from the parent company, training support, access to suppliers, and minimal risks (Antaranews, 2022). Franchises can be strategically established in popular or frequently visited areas of the respective countries. Furthermore, the government can encourage the Indonesian diaspora to participate in the ownership and operation of franchise restaurants, as well as their promotion.
- Food quality standardization
Taking Thailand as an example, which has established the Tourism Authority of Thailand with a Division of Thai Export Promotion as a special unit that regulates standards and policies related to Thai cuisine (Pujiyanti, 2017), the government, through the Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs, needs to collaborate or establish a division with the authority to determine the standardization of raw material quality and food taste that will be sold. This is necessary to enable Indonesian cuisine to compete globally.
- Collaboration between the government and the private sector on funding and business mentoring
To advance Indonesia’s gastrodiplomacy, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, through the Deputy of Industry and Investment, has collaborated with PT Investasi Digital Nusantara (Bizhare), to launch the Indonesian Restaurant Fundraising (IndoStar). The program aims to support Indonesian restaurant owners expand their businesses overseas. However, there were challenges related to financial literacy and adapting to digital advancements among restaurant owners during its implementation (VOI, 2023). As a result, mentoring is required to raise awareness about financial literacy among restaurant owners.
Conclusion
Gastrodiplomacy has the potential to support Indonesia achieve its vision of 2045 on the pillars of sustainable economic development, but strategies for implementation are required.
The optimization of Indonesian gastrodiplomacy necessitates government solutions, specifically through Kemenparekraf, to encourage business actors to expand their operations overseas. Regulations should be established to standardize the quality and taste of Indonesian cuisine sold abroad, thereby enabling it to compete effectively in the global market. Furthermore, for new entrepreneurs, franchising schemes offer a low-risk option with standardized standard operating procedures, raw materials, and human resources. Lastly, Kemenparekraf and PT Investasi Digital Nusantara (Bizhare) should provide oversight for funding and financial literacy mentorship.
References
Suntikul, Wantanee. 2017. Gastrodiplomacy in tourism: Current Issues in Tourism Vol. 22 (9). https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13683500.2017.1363723.
https://indonesia.go.id/kategori/kuliner/3599/tekad-indonesia-membumbui-dunia?lang=1
https://mediaindonesia.com/opini/555719/gastrodiplomasi-indonesia-di-eropa
https://voi.id/ekonomi/262762/kemenparekraf-dukung-ekspansi-pelaku-restoran-ke-luar-negeri
https://ekonomi.republika.co.id/berita/qchl8t383/kemendag-ekspor-rempah-indonesia-masih-rendah
WHO. 2000. Penyakit bawaan makanan: suatu permasalahan kesehatan dan ekonomi global.
Pujayanti, Andrini. 2017. Gastrodiplomasi – Upaya Memperkuat Diplomasi Indonesia.