The Practice of Indonesian Gastrodiplomacy: Challenges and Opportunities Behind the Indonesia Spice Up the World Campaign
摘要
Launched in 2021, the Indonesia Spice Up the World (ISUTW) shows gastrodiplomacy initiative carried out by President Joko Widodo in his foreign policy to develop national economy. The president uses gastrodiplomacy as an instrument to globally introduce and promote the wealth of Indonesian spices and culinary delights, expecting the global campaign to improve the country’s image and increase the export of local spices and food products, the number of Indonesian diaspora restaurants, and the arrivals of foreign travelers to the country. This chapter aims to identify and explain key challenges and opportunities brought by this campaign. As such, it raises two research questions: (1) How does the government practice gastrodiplomacy in ISUTW? (2) What are the specific opportunities and challenges faced by the government in ISUTW? Employing a qualitative method and interpretative analysis, this research found that the government uses the Triangle Concept of Indonesian Gastronomy in implementing gastrodiplomacy in ISUTW. The concept enables the government to highlight and communicate the cultural, historical, and narrative aspects of Indonesian spices in its gastrodiplomacy attempt. The government sees rich cultural heritage, historical significance, and local stories as the key strengths in Indonesian spices and food, perceiving them as the opportunities to reach the objectives of ISUTW. However, the challenges lie in the issues of storytelling capacity, financial assistance, commodity availability, quality control, diaspora engagement, and campaign sustainability.