Indef: Digital Technology Drives Transformation of Eid al-Adha Sacrifice in Indonesia

Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) believes digital technology and sustainable lifestyles are driving a transformation in Eid al-Adha sacrificial practices among Indonesia’s Muslim community.

CSED Indef researcher Murniati Mukhlisin said digital adoption is increasing due to transactional ease and traceability of sacrificial animals.

‘First, traceability. Barcodes and real-time reporting track animals from village pens to beneficiaries in remote areas,’ Mukhlisin said during an online discussion in Jakarta on Monday (25/5).

Further, another factor attracting the public to online kurban via digital platforms or e-commerce is integrated transaction systems.

‘Instant transactions enable urban middle-class participation through QRIS and payment gateways,’ Mukhlisin added.

Additionally, data-driven targeting allows aggregator platforms to use food security maps to accurately distribute meat from regions with surplus funding to nutritionally vulnerable areas.

Beyond digital tech, CSED Indef also highlights sustainable lifestyles that are greener and environmentally friendly, adding value to modern Indonesian Muslims’ kurban practices.

The green kurban model is highly circular, from livestock feed and agricultural waste processing to zero-waste adoption of sacrificed animals, using manure for energy and organic fertiliser, and innovating fruit tree planting after each sacrifice to restore ecology.

Meanwhile, CSED Indef head Nur Hidayah noted Generation Z plays a crucial role in kurban transformation alongside technological and lifestyle innovations, and their projected economic stability in the future.

Therefore, kurban service providers must adapt to current technologies to make it easier for younger generations to fulfill their sacrificial duties during Eid al-Adha.

‘Digital kurban platforms are crucial instruments to facilitate and enhance accessibility in sacrificial meat distribution,’ Nur said.

‘In 10 years, Gen Z demographics will shift the kurban market. Institutions not investing in digital infrastructure will be left behind as dominance shifts towards Gen Z with declining participation from older generations,’ she added.