INDUSTRY.co.id - JAKARTA – Herbal medicine has regained the stage as an important part of the healthy lifestyle of modern society through the implementation of the Acaraki Jamu Festival 2026.
Carrying the theme "The Rise of Jamu Culture", the festival which took place on 6-7 June 2026 in the GBK City Forest, Jakarta, came as a cultural movement that invited people to get to know, enjoy, and boast about herbal medicine as the identity of the Indonesian people.
For hundreds of years, herbal medicine has been an inseparable part of the lives of Indonesian people. This ancestral heritage is not only known as a traditional health herb, but also as a symbol of knowledge, culture, and local wisdom passed down across generations.
In the midst of increasing public awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, herbal medicine is now getting attention again. However, there are still many people who view herbal medicine only as a drink that is consumed when sick. In fact, herbal medicine has great potential to be part of a healthy lifestyle that is relevant to the needs of today's society.
Through the Acaraki Jamu Festival 2026, people are invited to see a new face of herbal medicine that is closer toeveryday life. The festival combines elements of health, culture, sports, culinary, entertainment, and creativity in one celebration that can be enjoyed by all family members.
Indonesia has an incredible wealth of biodiversity. Of the approximately 40,000 plant species in the world, about 30,000 species grow in Indonesia. This natural wealth makes Indonesia one of the countries with the largest biodiversity in the world as well as a source of knowledge of traditional medicine that has developed over centuries.
Not only is it rich in herbal plants, Indonesian people also have the ability to process various plants into herbs that are beneficial for health. This knowledge gave birth to various traditions such as the culture of herbal medicine to traditional medicine recipes passed down from generation togeneration.
World recognition of the cultural heritage is getting stronger after UNESCO established Healthy Herbal Culture as a World Intangible Cultural Heritage on December 6, 2023. This recognition confirms that herbal medicine is an important part of the nation's cultural identity that has historical values, knowledge, and sustainability that must be maintained.
Acaraki Jamu Festival 2026 is organized through the collaboration of various parties, ranging from acaraki, Cap Badak Freshener Solution, BPOM RI, GP Jamu, Ministry of Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, to communities, UMKM actors, artists, and cultural activists.
The collaboration was built through two main approaches. Together with the Ministry of Creative Economy, the festival presents various creative activities such as art performances, music, culinary, traditional games, and cultural experiences that are close to the younger generation. The goal is to change the perception of herbal medicine from being just a traditional product to being part of a modern lifestyle.
Meanwhile, BPOM RI and GP Herbal medicine play a role in strengthening quality, safety, education, product innovation, and the development of the national herbal medicine industry to be more trusted and have high competitiveness.
Head of BPOM RI, Prof. dr. Taruna Ikrar, M.Biomed., Ph.D., emphasized that the preservation of herbal medicine needs to be done with an approach that is relevant to the times.
"Acaraki Jamu Festival is an important moment to invite people to get to know and love herbal medicine as an Indonesian cultural heritage that has been passed down across generations. This festival also shows that herbal medicine is able to adapt and continue to innovate with the times," he said.
According to Taruna Ikrar, the wealth of biodiversity and traditional knowledge possessed by Indonesia makes herbal medicine has great potential as part of a healthy lifestyle as well as a national economic driver that can be recognized at the global level.
The development of the herbal medicine industry shows how cultural heritage can adapt to the needs of modern society. If in the past herbal medicine was synonymous with jamu gendong, now herbal products come in various forms such as ready-to-drink drinks (RTD), bottle packaging, sachets, capsules, herbal cafés, to herbal-based body care products.
This transformation proves that herbal medicine is able to develop without leaving its cultural roots and health benefits.
As one of the supporters of the festival, Cap Badak Freshener Solution also raised the importance of revitalizing Aksara Nusantara. Many recipes and knowledge of traditional herbal medicine were written using various regional characters in Indonesia.
The Chairman of GP Jamu, Jony Yuwono, said that preserving herbal medicine requires the collaboration of all stakeholders, ranging from the government, industry, community, to the community.
"Through the Acaraki Jamu Festival, we hope that more and more parties will be moved to participate in preserving and developing the cultural heritage of Indonesian herbal medicine. The spirit of traditional herbalists needs to be an inspiration for the current generation to continue to innovate and strengthen the competitiveness of UMKM herbal medicine," said Jony.
To realize this vision, the festival presents various excellent programs that combine health and cultural elements. One of them is Jamu Fit Fest which presents various sports activities such as 5K Fun Run, Fun Walk, Yoga, Poundfit, and Zumba.
In addition, there is an Nusantara Banquet featuring various herbs, traditional culinary, UMKM products, and creative works from various regions in Indonesia.
The festival is also enlivened by various cultural and entertainment activities such as the Nusantara Game Relay, Nusantara Carnival, Mixologist Jamu Competition, Gendong Jamu Parade, Funny Encounter, to the "Sorak Serai" music concert which presents a lively and interactive cultural experience.
Designed as a family-friendly festival, Acaraki Jamu Festival 2026 presents various activities that can be enjoyed by children, teenagers, and parents. Through a pleasant experience, this festival is expected to be able to foster a love for herbal medicine as well as strengthen relationships between generations.
