Jakarta, November 29, 2019 - More than 85 local communities from across the archipelago will be present at the Panen Raya Nusantara Festival (PARARA), which will be held on December 6-8, 2019, at the Atrium Plaza Semanggi, South Jakarta. A variety of local, green, healthy, fair and sustainable wise food products, non-wood-based handicrafts and other local products will headline the festival.

The PARARA Festival is a biennial event initiated by the PARARA Consortium. The festival was first organized in 2015 to promote and showcase entrepreneurial products from various communities and indigenous peoples. The products are the result of the community's efforts to support their lives and improve their welfare, by paying attention to the balance between nature and humans, and come from the wisdom and cultural traditions of the community.

'Keep the Tradition, Take Care of the Earth' is the theme this year with the aim of showing that the wisdom of Indonesia's ancestors has proven successful in utilizing natural resources sustainably and maintaining nature as part of community life and the earth. The ancestors of the Indonesian people and indigenous communities until now take natural resources by paying attention to the balance with nature and its carrying capacity so that these natural resources remain and can be enjoyed by future generations. Communities also collectively supervise the preservation of nature. Through PARARA, we are invited to return to practice, maintain traditions, and care for the Earth for the preservation of natural resources and welfare.

PARARA Consortium Chairman Jusupta Tarigan said, "The 2019 PARARA Festival specifically encourages much-needed changes in the patterns of production, consumption, and distribution of commodities, especially food products. PARARA is part of the Wise Food campaign, a movement that is consistently and structured in the promotion and campaign of local, healthy, fair and sustainable food. Local agricultural systems developed by indigenous peoples and local communities, based on local wisdom, best practices, and traditional seed supply, have been able to ensure food security and are able to maintain soil fertility and preserve the diversity of food sources. We can all support wise food systems starting from ourselves, our families, our communities by choosing food that is local, healthy, just green and sustainable and supporting local menus and traditional 'cuisine', and shopping for products directly from the community."

"In terms of quality, local products have global value and market potential. In addition to the rich variety of food products, Indonesia is also rich in the potential of woven fabric crafts. Weaving is not only a cultural heritage, but also an entrepreneurial potential that has a market at home and abroad. Therefore, our attention is needed to maintain and preserve Indonesia's local products as well as the producer community and its local wisdom," said Jusupta Tarigan.

In addition to the Festival, PARARA is expected to become a platform to support the integration between local communities, markets and policies governing local and creative industries. Synergy across actors with enabling conditions for a more pro-community economy for welfare and justice.

In addition to the creative product exhibition, PARARA 2019 also features talkshow and training sessions on interesting topics such as food and health, non-wood-based creative industries and craft workshops. There is also a PARARA banquet where visitors can enjoy delicious menus prepared from local food ingredients. For coffee lovers and the barista world, there are cupping and ngopiPARARA sessions. The festival also provides space for children and families, traditional art performances of the Kulawi community, Central Sulawesi, Stand Up Comedy and Kid Journalist workshop that can be followed by children. While the entertainment session will be enlivened by Benedicanta Singers, Senandung Orquestra and other traditional art performances.

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Editor's Note:

The Nusantara Harvest Festival was organized by the PARARA Consortium consisting of NTFP-EP Indonesia, WWF-Indonesia, Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI), ASPPUK, JKTI, KEHATI, GEF SGP, Kemitraan, RECOFTC, AMAN Mandiri Producer Cooperative (KPAM), Indonesian Organist Alliance (AOI), Samdhana Institute, Jaringan Madu Hutan Nusantara (JMHI), Jasa Menenun Mandiri Sintang, Yayasan Riak Bumi-Pontianak, Yayasan Dian Tama-Pontianak, Perkumpulan Indonesia Berseru (PIB), Rumah Organik, Forum Komunikasi Kehutanan Masyarakat (FKKM), WARSI Jambi, Yayasan Anak Dusun Papua (YADUPA) Jayapura, Yayasan Mitra Insani (YMI) Riau, Yayasan Konservasi Way Seputih (YKWS) Lampung, Yayasan Palung, KIARA, Yayasan Petak Danum, Yayasan Penabulu, Yayasan Tropenbos Indonesia (TI), Rimbawan Muda Indonesia (RMI).

For more information, contact Sarah, Media Relation PARARA 2019 Phone: +62 822 9946 7886

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