APJI pushes for strengthening catering industry to support food security
The Chairperson of the Indonesian Catering Entrepreneurs Association (APJI), Tashya Megananda Yukki, is pushing for the strengthening of the catering industry, noting its increasingly strategic role in supporting food security and job creation. “We want to ensure that APJI continues to be a relevant, adaptive organisation capable of providing a real contribution to the progress of Indonesia’s catering industry,” Tashya stated in an official statement on Wednesday.
In line with this objective, APJI held its National Working Meeting (Rakernas) under the theme “National Consolidation and Organisational Strengthening Towards APJI as the Main Strategic Partner for Catering.” This event served as a momentum to strengthen organisational solidarity and its role as a strategic partner to the government and stakeholders in developing the national catering industry. The meeting also included the inauguration of the Central Papua APJI Regional Leadership Council (DPD), aimed at ensuring the even development of the catering industry across Indonesia.
Tashya added that the catering industry, alongside the food and beverage sector, plays a strategic role, contributing nearly 10 per cent to Indonesia’s GDP, equivalent to Rp2,300 trillion. The sector is also estimated to support approximately 11.7 million jobs, with the number of food and beverage service businesses reaching around 4.85 million and generating a turnover of Rp998 trillion.
As the umbrella organisation for catering entrepreneurs, APJI is committed to supporting various government programmes by strengthening human resource capacity and increasing industry standards. This support is realised through the provision of education, training, and certification in catering management, food safety, and food processing hygiene. “Through these various activities, we aim to encourage the creation of safe, healthy, high-quality, and sustainable food provision governance, thereby supporting the success of various government programmes,” Tashya added.
The APJI 2026 National Working Meeting also highlighted the association’s achievements in supporting catering entrepreneurs in scaling up towards the global market through “APJI Mart,” a marketing ecosystem designed to provide wider market access for the flagship products of APJI members. Furthermore, the meeting reaffirmed its commitment to priority programmes, particularly digital transformation, through the “APJI Connect” platform. “APJI Connect” serves as a national catering business ecosystem that integrates entrepreneurs, suppliers, MSMEs, banking, government, investors, and international buyers into a single integrated ecosystem. “This will ensure that participating catering entrepreneurs can achieve real added value, such as market access, strong business connections, and high bargaining power within the industry,” Tashya concluded.