Budaya Populer & Hortikultura: Potensi Kebijakan Diplomasi Santan untuk Diplomasi Gastro Indonesia

Abstract

This paper explores Indonesia’s diplomatic strategy through the utilization of coconut milk (santan) as an instrument of economic, cultural, and foreign policy diplomacy for the period 2025–2033. The study departs from the fact that although Indonesia is the world’s largest coconut producer, the contribution of processed coconut products to national exports remains limited and tends to be trapped in low-value raw material exports. The article proposes the concept of Santan-Diplomacy, a commodity-based diplomatic strategy that integrates three main pillars: product standardization and certification in accordance with international standards, the establishment of a coordinating institution through the Indonesian Coconut Industry Coordinating Body (BKIKI), and the development of a cultural narrative that positions santan as a key element of Indonesian culinary identity. Using a comparative analysis approach, the paper highlights Mexico’s experience with Guacamole-Diplomacy as a learning model, including its success in exports as well as challenges such as deforestation and the infiltration of criminal actors in the supply chain. The findings suggest that Santan-Diplomacy has the potential to transform Indonesia from a raw commodity exporter into a high-value downstream product exporter like Korean Kimchi, strengthen Indonesia’s soft power in international diplomacy, and enrich the global culinary narrative through gastrodiplomacy. With a sustainable, inclusive, and innovation-driven policy design, Santan-Diplomacy could serve as a strategic instrument toward Indonesia’s Golden Vision 2045.