Summer Course: Traditional Food for Agro-Biodiversity, Health and Tourism

Awareness on the influence of lifestyle on health and life style related diseases is increasing. Fast food and high calorie density food have been known to cause degenerative disease such as, diabetes, hyper cholesterol, hypertension, coronary heart disease, etc. Hence, the challenge is now how to educate people and to introduce them to food with balance nutrition and thus beneficial for human health. In this aspect, traditional food besides acting as a cultural heritage, they also have a health impact. Since traditional food has been locally consumed for a very long time and is passed through generation, its impact on the human health is crucial. Furthermore, traditional food is specific for certain geographic location and has a historic value. Therefore, traditional food can be used as a tool to promote tourism.

In this summer course, the complexity of traditional food will be revealed and discussed from the different aspect, namely social aspect, custom, echo tourism and health. It is important to nurture young generation in the area of agriculture, forestry and tourism to be able to conserve and fully utilized traditional food as a healthy food and a tool to promote tourism.

Faculty of Agricultural Technology has been doing intensive studies on traditional food and its benefits. Furthermore, the Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Gadjah Mada has been working intensively to conserve and study traditional food for years. Accordingly, Universitas Gadjah Mada has experiences both in the application and scientific issue of traditional food making the university is qualified to host this event.