Helianti Hilman is an Indonesian entrepreneur and gastronomy advocate working at the intersection of biodiversity, culture, and food. Her work focuses on reviving Indonesia’s biocultural food heritage while creating sustainable livelihoods for rural communities. In 2008, she founded JAVARA, connecting thousands of smallholder farmers and food artisans across Indonesia to national and global markets through biodiversity-based products. She later founded Sekolah Seniman Pangan to nurture grassroots food entrepreneurs, and initiated Pasti Collective, a multistakeholder co-operative enabling ethical, biocultural food enterprises to grow through shared resources and market access. Most recently, Helianti has been developing community-based Bioculture Gastronomy, curating immersive food experiences that celebrate biodiversity, seasonality, and cultural landscapes. Her work has received international recognition, including from the Skoll Foundation and Schwab Foundation, and has been featured by global media such as Channel News Asia, DW, NHK, and The Guardian.
Helianti Hilman adalah pengusaha asal Indonesia yang bergerak di bidang pangan, budaya, dan kekayaan alam. Karyanya berfokus pada menghidupkan kembali warisan pangan Indonesia sekaligus membuka peluang ekonomi yang berkelanjutan bagi masyarakat di daerah. Pada tahun 2008, ia mendirikan JAVARA, yang menghubungkan ribuan petani kecil dan pengrajin pangan dari berbagai daerah dengan pasar nasional dan internasional melalui produk berbasis bahan lokal. Ia juga mendirikan Sekolah Seniman Pangan untuk mendukung pelaku usaha pangan skala kecil, serta memprakarsai Pasti Collective, sebuah koperasi yang membantu usaha pangan berbasis budaya berkembang lewat kolaborasi dan akses pasar. Belakangan, Helianti mengembangkan konsep Bioculture Gastronomy berbasis komunitas dengan menghadirkan pengalaman kuliner yang menonjolkan kekayaan alam, musim, dan budaya lokal. Karyanya telah mendapat pengakuan internasional, termasuk dari Skoll Foundation dan Schwab Foundation, serta diliput oleh media global seperti Channel News Asia, DW, NHK, dan The Guardian.
Seventeen thousand islands. Hundreds of languages. And a kitchen that contains them all. Chef Agus, Executive Chef of Ron Gastrobar Indonesia, together with Helianti Hilman, Indonesia’s foremost champion of indigenous …
From the forests of Kalimantan to the kitchens of Sumatra and the Lesser Sunda Islands, three sambals tell the story of Indonesia’s extraordinary culinary diversity. Puan Rimba, representing the Women …
When a forest disappears, it doesn’t just take the trees. It takes the flavors, the remedies, the recipes that never got written down. In this panel, Indonesian culinary conservationist Helianti …
Four Hands. One table. A cuisine shaped by the forest. At the heart of this luncheon are the women defenders of Indonesia’s forests, farmers, foragers, seed keepers and guardians of …
Once known as the heart of the Spice Islands, North Maluku holds a culinary heritage shaped by sago forests, coastal traditions, and generations of indigenous knowledge. In this intimate masterclass, …
Four days of incredible food kicks off Thursday night. Local heroes and celebrated chefs from across Asia and beyond come together to launch the 2026 Festival at the Teater Kuliner …
