Helianti Hilman Najib
Leading promoter of sustaining Indonesia’s food biodiversity. 2008, founded Kampung Kearifan Indonesia (JAVARA), a value-driven sustainable food company that turns food heritage into organic artisanal gourmet food products. JAVARA works with tens of thousands of farmers and food artisans, introducing over 600 products and has exported to 20 countries. To create inclusive business opportunities in rural and remote Indonesia that further enhance the mission of keeping Indonesia’s food biodiversity alive, in 2017, founded Sekolah Seniman Pangan, an action-based school and business ecosystem to promoted food entrepreneurship among rural youth. Award-winning social entrepreneur, including named as 2013 Indonesia’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year, Schwab Foundation 2015 Social Entrepreneur. Work has been featured by Chanel News Asia, DW TV, Guardian UK and The Bangkok Post, among others.
- Visit their website
- JAVARA
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- Model
- Hybrid Social Enterprise
- Sectors
- Circular Economy; Retail, Consumer Goods and Lifestyle; Future of the Environment; Indonesia; Agriculture, Food and Beverage; ASEAN
- Headquarters
- Indonesia
- Areas of Impact
- ASEAN, Indonesia
JAVARA
JAVARA works across agricultural value chains, from production to distribution to branding, in order to preserve Indonesia's food biodiversity and bring fine organic products from remote and rural Indonesia to broader markets. Javara champions artisanal food products of specific origin that have market relevance. Triggered by indigenous farmers and food artisans who have been determined to preserve Indonesia's food biodiversity, JAVARA is working hand in hand with over 52,000 smallholder farmers and food artisans to bring forgotten foods to the market.
The company sells over 800 artisanal products (of which 250 are certified organic), serving over 700 businesses (retail outlets and food service industry) in Indonesia and exports to 22 countries. The company intervenes along supply chains to strengthen supplier production capacity, improve workplace safety, and market products nationally and internationally, securing premium prices for farmers and processors. At the sourcing end, JAVARA’s value chain includes farmers with small landholdings that are organized into farmers’ collectives. JAVARA creates local farm-entrepreneurs and helps them develop high market potential produce and supports them to adopt sustainable and economically beneficial farming practices, such as crop rotation or inter-cropping. Over 3,000 food artisans are also trained by JAVARA to reach and maintain high food safety and quality standards.
When there is strong local capacity, the farmer collectives are encouraged and supported to handle the processing operations. JAVARA then purchases, markets and distributes these products. This model ensures transparent pricing structures and allows all involved stakeholders to benefit from selling value added products.
Its business model has attracted many organizations worldwide to learn from its approaches, among others from ASEAN, Korea, Japan, India, New Zealand and South Africa. JAVARA has received honours and awards, including: named a Global Rising Star by Forbes Indonesia (2014); the Anugerah HKI (Intellectual Property Award) for Brand Owner, Indonesian Government (2014); the Primaniyarta award as a Pioneer on the New Market from the Indonesian Government (2016); named among Indonesia’s Top Social Enterprises by Top 10 Asia (2016); named first among Indonesia’s Top 25 Exotic Brands by SWA Magazine (2017).