The Indonesian Women's Congress (KOWANI) organised various activities to strengthen the Tempeh Indonesia Goes to UNESCO movement at the headquarters of its central Jakarta office on Sunday (9/8/2026). The event, which involved more than 1,000 participants, combined sports, cultural preservation, food security, economic empowerment and health education.
The main agenda of the event was a 10,000-Step Healthy Fun Walk with a route from the KOWANI office grounds to Hotel Indonesia Roundabout and back to the starting point. This activity was part of the KOWANI Goes to UNESCO – Memory of the World programme.
KOWANI Chair Nannie Hadi Tjahjanto said tempeh had great potential not only as a traditional food but also as part of food security and a source of economic opportunity, especially for women. She added that tempeh development could be achieved through innovation using local ingredients, not only soybean but also sorghum and various types of beans. Nannie stated that tempeh is not only food but also has the potential to become a source of family livelihood.
In addition to the Fun Walk, the event included the National Declaration of Tempeh Indonesia Goes to UNESCO, Tempeh Festival, Nusantara Sorghum Festival, Nusantara Cassava Festival, Nusantara Cooking Experience, cooperatives and SMEs exhibition, and Tai Chi exercises. The event also featured free health checks, nutrition education and stunting prevention, business matching, and the distribution of productive tree seeds.
According to Nannie, the increasing recognition of tempeh in various countries provided momentum for Indonesia to strengthen the preservation and recognition of the tempeh-making tradition. She emphasised that the move towards UNESCO was not merely about pursuing international recognition but also about ensuring that the knowledge, skills and tradition of tempeh-making remain alive and are passed down to the next generation. "If we don't move quickly, while tempeh is increasingly recognised in various countries, we could fall behind," Nannie said.
The event also featured the Cheap Food Movement to support the stabilisation of food supply and prices, offering various essential goods at affordable prices to the public. KOWANI saw the development of local food as needing to progress alongside the empowerment of communities, especially women and SME operators, through innovation and broader market access.
