[ISAFIS External Gazette #1] Gastrodiplomacy and the New Arms Race: How Nations Cook Their Way Into Influence

Written by: Fayza Arisanda External Secretary of the Board of Executive

Hi ISAFIANS! Who knows the concept of gastronomy? Quoting from the Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education, Gastronomy is a form of expressing culture as part of the aesthetics of life, the culture in question being food and drink. Meanwhile, gastronomic diplomacy is an effort to use the food culture to enhance the existence of a country so as to strengthen diplomatic relations with other countries by utilising intercultural knowledge. This is a finding that is still commonly used, through some studies in some literature, through this article it is presented how Indonesia can improve its diplomatic relations through gastronomic culture.

Going back to 2002, Gastronomic Diplomacy began with The Economist Asia weekly magazine working on published of the Thai government’s new strategic policies to globalise Thai restaurants in the United States through a special programme called Global Thai. This is a strategic projection of the Thai Government who feels that the distinctive flavours of the country can be easily accepted by the international tongue. Global Thai later changed its name to Thai Cuisine to the World in order to enhance the food menus in Thai restaurants in the international area (Economist, 2002; ThaiFoodtotheWorld, 2005).

Since it was published in The Economist Asia weekly magazine, the concept of gastrodiplomacy has been attracted many attention by many stakeholder especially in the 21st century. Many stakeholder believe that it is a simple strategy that excels in creating diplomatic relations between countries. Thailand is considered a pioneer in the success of gastrodiplomacy where several countries were influenced to use similar methods. Thailand’s early successes-which were later covered by The Economist-contributed greatly to introducing gastrodiplomacy as a legitimate and strategic diplomatic practice.

ISAFIANS, now the concept of building diplomatic relations by countries is not only on a cultural locus limited to history, art, or others. Food as a primary human need is considered even more interesting and has great potential. National specialities are starting to be positioned as part of the country’s image and identity that it wants to highlight internationally (Tettner & Kalyoncu, 2016).

How About Indonesia in Gastrodiplomacy? 
Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, acts as a “big brother” in Southeast Asia, and has successfully implemented democratic reforms. However, many in the global community still do not know Indonesia well, and even have misconceptions such as thinking of Indonesia as a small undeveloped country, a sending country for unskilled labour, or only known as the tourist spot of Bali. Therefore, Indonesia needs to strengthen its public diplomacy to be more recognised globally. Public diplomacy is essential to increase understanding of a country’s attitudes, culture, institutions and policies. Countries that do not utilise the power of public diplomacy will risk losing out.

But did you know? The Indonesian government is considered too late to utilise the potential of gastrodiplomacy, whereas other Asian countries have realised the importance of gastrodiplomacy as an element of destination branding since ten years ago. Thailand, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan have developed special programmes to introduce their traditional cuisines internationally. South Korea, for example, has successfully boosted their economy with the Hansik programme, which can be seen from the increase in exports and the development of markets for Korean agricultural and food products, especially in the Southeast Asian region.

Likewise, Thailand has built a strong reputation for its cuisine in the global market. The Thai government developed “Global ” in 2002 and made overseas Thai restaurants ‘cultural ambassadors’. Thailand also provides incentives for overseas Thai restaurant openers and ensures standardisation of taste. The Thai government even provides training for chefs of overseas Thai restaurants. The results have been very positive for the Thai economy, with increased exports of agricultural products, the spread of Thai chefs abroad, and the growth of the tourism sector. Thai airlines have also contributed by sending Thai ingredients to the destination countries. The success of Thailand and South Korea in introducing their culinary culture globally is an important lesson for Indonesia to immediately develop a similar gastrodiplomacy strategy.

Through gastrodiplomacy, the promotion of Indonesian cuisine will not only represent the nation’s culture but also bring benefits in the economic sector. Indonesia’s trade policy and foreign policy should go hand in hand and strengthen each other. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ attention to gastrodiplomacy began to appear when the institution organised a Discussion Group Forum (FGD) in 2011 that discussed efforts to promote Indonesian cuisine in foreign countries. Although the awareness to strengthen Indonesia’s culinary position has

As it appears, concrete steps and integrated gastrodiplomacy planning are yet to be seen. Gastrodiplomacy has not even been included as a priority in the Strategic Plan of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the 2014-2019 period. The successful implementation of gastrodiplomacy is largely determined by the creativity and active role of Indonesian Ambassadors in their host countries. Without being bound by political rigidities, gastrodiplomacy can be an effective instrument in strengthening international relations.

Enhancing Indonesia’s Diplomacy Through Culinary Diplomacy
ISAFIANS, let’s now discuss how the strategy can be applied.In the view of international policy experts, Indonesia needs to overcome its delay in gastrodiplomacy by building a more integrated policy. Joseph Nye’s Soft Power theory that emphasises the importance of culture in diplomacy is the basis for this move. The Indonesian government should create a national gastrodiplomacy strategy that involves various parties from the government, private sector, and society. This policy should include training, standardisation of Indonesian cuisine, and promotion in international markets. Cooperation between the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the food industry is crucial to the success of this programme.

In addition, strengthening public diplomacy through non-state actors such as restaurant owners, culinary industry players and famous chefs should be part this strategy. This is in line with Jan Melissen’s concept of Public Diplomacy, which emphasises the role of non-state actors in building a country’s image. Thailand and South Korea have proven that the role of the private sector in spreading their cuisine is crucial. Indonesia can replicate this model by incentivising Indonesian restaurants abroad and helping them maintain the quality of their cuisine. Training for Indonesian chefs who will be working abroad can also improve Indonesia’s culinary image.

Indonesia also needs to focus on national culinary branding and standardisation. Nation Branding introduced by Simon Anholt teaches that countriesmust create a positive image, including through products and culture. By developing a system that guarantees the authenticity and quality of Indonesian cuisine, countries can create a strong culinary identity. A certification programme will help Indonesian restaurants abroad gain official recognition and ensure consistency of taste. The development of Indonesian ingredients that are environmentally friendly can also be an advantage that sets Indonesia apart from other countries.

Conclusion
To conclude, gastrodiplomacy is a promising but yet to be maximised diplomatic instrument for Indonesia to strengthen its international position through culture and cuisine. While Thailand and South Korea have implemented systematic strategies to promote their food around the world, Indonesia is still in the early phases of developing this soft power approach. By incorporating gastrodiplomacy into national policy and involving the government and the private sector, Indonesia can increase its cultural visibility and boost economic growth. In the future, gastrodiplomacy needs to be a key component of Indonesia’s public diplomacy to build a positive image and strengthen intercultural understanding at the global level.

References
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Rockower, Paul S. “Recipes for gastrodiplomacy.” Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 8.3 (2012): 235-246.

Sinulingga, Sarah Patrecia. “Diplomasi Kebudayaan Indonesia terhadap Amerika Serikat Melalui Kuliner (Gastrodiplomacy) Tahun 2010-2016.” JOM FISIP 4.2 (2017): 1-14.

Spence, Charles. “Gastrodiplomacy: Assessing the role of food in decision-making.” Flavour 5.1 (2016): 4.

White, Wajeana, Albert A. Barreda, and Stephanie Hein. “Gastrodiplomacy: Captivating a global audience through cultural cuisine-a systematic review of the literature.” Journal of Tourismology 5.2 (2019): 127-144.