Jakarta, 19 February, 2026 – Minister of Creative Economy/Head of the Creative Economy Agency, Teuku Riefky Harsya, encouraged Indonesian gastronomy to be realized as intellectual property (IP) in order to generate added value. Furthermore, Minister Teuku Riefky emphasized that the Ministry of Creative Economy upholds a strong commitment to advancing regional creative economy potential so that it can move up the value chain.
Minister of Creative Economy, Teuku Riefky Harsya, received an audience with Indonesia Gastronomy Community (IGC) at the Ministry of Creative Economy Office, Jakarta, on Thursday (19/2/2026).
“Thank you for your efforts in exploring our cultural heritage. At the Ministry of Creative Economy, we encourage cultural wealth to become IP that can be commercialized and provide broad benefits to society,” said Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky during the audience with Indonesia Gastronomy Community (IGC) at Autograph Tower, Jakarta, on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
According to Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky Harsya, Indonesian gastronomy as the new engine of growth holds significant potential as it is rooted in regional strengths with rich cultural value and high differentiation. One example is tumpeng, which has distinctive characteristics across various regions of Indonesia and a strong foundation to be developed as a national gastronomic IP.
With compelling storytelling, tumpeng is not only relevant as a cultural product but also has the potential to become an instrument of Indonesia’s soft diplomacy at the global level. On this occasion, Indonesia Gastronomy Community (IGC) presented various initiatives that have been carried out since its establishment in June 2020 as a non-profit community dedicated to preserving Indonesian food and beverages along with their cultural values and underlying philosophies.
Doc. Bureau for Communication Ministry of Creative Economy/ Creative Economy Agency
Indonesia Gastronomy Community (IGC) is an initiator of the development of Indonesia’s gastronomy ecosystem based on research, curation, and the strengthening of intellectual property. The community focuses on strengthening Indonesia’s gastronomic branding, developing archipelagic culinary IP, curating and increasing the added value of gastronomy-based MSMEs, as well as positioning gastronomy as a soft power of the national economy.
Chairwoman of Indonesia Gastronomy Community (IGC) for the 2023–2026 period, Ria Musiawan, emphasized that nearly six years of IGC’s journey have become a momentum to expand strategic collaboration, particularly with the government, in strengthening the national gastronomy ecosystem.
“IGC is a community that loves food, beverages, culture, and the philosophy of gastronomy. We want tumpeng to be increasingly recognized and its meaning understood as a symbol of unity. We hope today marks a positive beginning to build more concrete collaboration,” said Ria.
Doc. Bureau for Communication Ministry of Creative Economy/ Creative Economy Agency.
She further added that strengthening national gastronomic IP through the development of the Buku Tumpeng Indonesia as a National Gastronomy IP is one of the key priorities. In addition, Indonesia Gastronomy Community (IGC) also proposed strengthening the curation and storytelling of culinary MSMEs, developing a Gastronomy Creative Hub and experience economy-based exhibition models, integrating gastronomy into national and global creative economy promotion agendas, as well as developing gastronomy models based on social impact through local food education.
Deputy for Cultural Creativity and Design of the Ministry of Creative Economy, Yuke Sri Rahayu, expressed appreciation for IGC’s consistency in promoting culinary heritage rooted in history and culture. Yuke emphasized the importance of strengthening curation and storytelling so that Indonesian cuisine can achieve global competitiveness.
Doc. Bureau for Communication Ministry of Creative Economy/ Creative Economy Agency
According to her, many Indonesian culinary products have the potential to be positioned as vegan-friendly, gluten-free, halal, and healthy food, which—if communicated with the right narrative—can increase economic value and the revenue of business actors.
“As a follow-up, the tumpeng tradition can serve as a pilot project demonstrating that our cultural wealth holds significant added value potential for the commercialization of national gastronomic IP,” said Yuke Sri Rahayu.
This audience marked the strengthening of synergy between the government and the community in building a gastronomy ecosystem based on intellectual property, while also reaffirming the role of Indonesian cuisine as a cultural identity and a driver of the national creative economy.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy/ Creative Economy Agency
