Minister Riefky: Jamu Is Indonesia’s Cultural Intellectual Property

RRI.CO.ID, Yogyakarta – Indonesia's Minister of Creative Economy and Head of the Creative Economy Agency, Teuku Riefky Harsya, underscored that jamu is a part of Indonesia’s cultural heritage. He said it is also a form of cultural intellectual property (IP) with the potential to create added economic value and strengthen the country’s competitiveness in the global market.

“It is important for jamu to continue evolving through stronger branding, intellectual property, and intellectual property rights protection so that it can generate added value and deliver tangible economic benefits across the entire ecosystem,” Riefky said during the first episode of the Jejamuan: Exploring the Archipelago’s Jamu podcast, themed “Civilization in the Pakualaman Palace,” in Yogyakarta on Saturday, June 13, 2026.

According to the Minister, jamu is no longer viewed merely as a traditional herbal drink, but has evolved into part of the modern lifestyle and is increasingly present across various creative economy spaces, including cafes, hotels, shopping centers, and wellness-based tourist destinations.

“Today, we see that jamu is no longer associated solely with traditions of the past. It has become part of the modern lifestyle and is embraced by different generations, including Gen Z and millennials,” he said.

He noted that the growing trend toward healthy lifestyles presents significant opportunities for jamu-based products to reach wider markets. Therefore, strengthening storytelling, branding, promotion, networking, market access, and financing is considered crucial to enhancing the competitiveness of jamu businesses while expanding their international reach.

Riefky also said Indonesia has strong foundations to become one of the world’s leading wellness industry hubs, supported by its abundant spices, long-standing herbal medicine traditions, and health-conscious culture passed down through generations.

“Indonesia has enormous potential to become a global wellness center. We have a strong jamu tradition, abundant spices, and a health culture that remains alive today,” he said.

He added that the challenge lies in professionally packaging these strengths through collaboration involving businesses, academics, the media, associations, and financial institutions to enable Indonesia to compete in the global market.

The Ministry of Creative Economy, he said, continues to strengthen cross-sector collaboration in developing wellness-based subsectors to boost exports, attract investment, create quality jobs, and increase the contribution of the creative economy to national and regional economic growth.

As a concrete step, the ministry is ready to collaborate with the Indonesian Jamu Council in organizing the Jamu International Conference and Expo (JICE) 2026, scheduled for October, to further promote Indonesian jamu and strengthen its position in the global market.