Faculty of Pharmacy of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has organised an International Herbal Medicine Festival as a forum to introduce herbal medicine (jamu) as a cultural heritage to the millennial generation and the world.
The Festival ran from 14 - 17 November 2019 in Royal Ambarrukmo Hotel, Yogyakarta, opened by Dean of Faculty of Pharmacy UGM, Prof. Agung Endro Nugroho, on Thursday evening (14/11).
“The international jamu festival is presented through a collaboration between stakeholders, namely, university, industry, Yogyakarta regional government, and Health Ministry to promote herbal medicine once again,” said the Dean.
He asked all members of society to promote jamu as an Indonesian local wisdom through this event. Jamu is even expected to be a state icon.
“Through this festival, let’s make jamu as a state icon and pride of the nation. Let’s promote jamu as a heritage from our ancestors,” he asked.
Coordinator of the festival, Dr. Ronny Martien, said jamu has been used by the Indonesian people from generation to generation as a health drink. Unfortunately, jamu has declined in terms of popularity. Although it is surviving, but it still is a marginalised product. It has the image of old times. Therefore, Ronny mentioned the need to improve this image to make jamu great again.
"It includes bringing jamu closer to the young generation,” he said.
He said jamu needs to adapt to the current condition, for example by integrating it with technology or making variants or a modern packaging.
“Jamu can be made with coffee, soda, milk, and so on. The question is how to encourage people to drink it repetitiously and make it a lifestyle,” he concluded.