ASIATODAY.ID, ROME – Indonesia showcases its rich variety of local foods at global exhibition ‘From Seeds to Foods’, hosted by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome, Italy, from 10-13 October 2025.
The country joins nearly 150 of other countries in exhibiting its food traditions and technologies at Rome’s heart of Park of Porta Capena to commemorate the World Food Day and FAO’s 80th Anniversary on 16 October 2025.
Indonesia brings to Rome derivative products of its key four commodities from across the country: organic rice from Subang and Tasikmalaya, West Java and Magelang, Central Java; lady finger bananas from Lumajang, East Java; snake fruit from Karangasem, Bali, and sago from Sentani, Papua.
“Behind every grain of rice or piece of fruit are the hands of farmers, both men and women, young and old, and they deserve not only praise but also respect, justice, and recognition for their hard work in growing our food,” said Rachmat Pambudy, National Development Planning Minister during the exhibition’s opening ceremony in Rome on Friday, October 10, 2025.
“Indonesia’s participation in this exhibition reflects our commitment to transforming agriculture into a modern, sustainable, and competitive sector,” said Ali Jamil, Secretary-General (ad interim), Ministry of Agriculture, separately.
“Through priority programs on food sovereignty, farmer empowerment, and global market access, we continue to boost productivity, preserve biodiversity, and strengthen local value chains. The showcased products also reflect the diversity of Indonesian enterprises, from established exporters to MSMEs benefiting from broader exposure and sustained support. We welcome continued international partnerships and investments to advance Indonesia’s vast agrifood potential and contribute to global food security.”
The product selection also represents the long-standing cooperation between Indonesia and FAO to improve agrifood systems across sectors, starting from its FAO membership in 1948.
Through FAO’s One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative, for instance, farmers of lady finger bananas in Lumajang receive support to improve their productivity, quality, sustainability, and market readiness.
In Sentani, Papua, the Ministry of Agriculture with FAO and New Zealand Embassy’s support has also built small-scale sago processing units and customary communities’ capacity to improve sustainable sago production, supporting local livelihoods and reducing sago loss.
Bali’s snake fruit agroforestry system in Karangasem has also been acknowledged as Indonesia’s first site in the list of FAO’s Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).
“Indonesia has a vast variety of foods that represents deep-rooted traditions and cultures, and it has also been open to embracing innovations toward a more sustainable future. Through this exhibition, Indonesia once again demonstrates that both traditions and innovations can go hand in hand, supporting local communities and their food security,” said Rajendra Aryal, FAO Representative in Indonesia and Timor-Leste.
The ‘From Seeds to Foods’ global exhibition brings international visitors on an informative and entertaining journey of discovery along the value chains of crops, horticulture, livestock, forestry, and fisheries. Visitors will be able to see food production technologies and agricultural products, taste foods from various culinary traditions, hear from agrifood systems experts, and see agricultural machinery and advanced technology close-up.
It is FAO’s first global exhibition constituting a milestone of FAO’s 80 years of international efforts to defeat hunger and malnutrition. The exhibition is part of the fifth edition of FAO’s flagship World Food Forum; a week of global dialogues, knowledge exchanges and solution-driven collaborations, guided by the theme “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future” and the Four Betters: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. (AT Network)
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