Inclusive Wealth Beyond GDP: Indonesia’s Quiet Power in a Fractured World

As the world lurches from one crisis to another—trade wars, pandemics, geopolitical fragmentation, climate shocks—it becomes clear that the old way of measuring progress through GDP is not only incomplete but dangerously misleading.

In Indonesia, we are witnessing the dawn of a new development philosophy: inclusive wealth. This approach values not only what we produce today, but what we preserve and empower for tomorrow—our biodiversity, food systems, small businesses, cultural identity, and geopolitical independence.

And in this moment of global instability, Indonesia stands quietly, yet powerfully, as a force of balance, resilience, and future leadership.

A Middle Power with a Moral Compass

The new world order emerging after the U.S.-China tariff war and the deepening tensions in the Middle East is not shaped by military alliances alone. It is shaped by trust, neutrality, and long-term reliability.

Indonesia, with its strategic maritime position, demographic strength, and pluralist identity, plays a central role. We are not a mere bystander—we are a connective tissue in Asia, the Pacific, and the Global South.

As a member of ASEAN, BRICS+, and a trusted voice in the Muslim world, Indonesia has the ability to open bridges where others build walls. This geopolitical influence, built on stability and soft power, is a form of inclusive wealth often underestimated by traditional economic metrics.

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Food Sovereignty Is National Sovereignty

As Chair of the National SMEs Awakened Movement, I work daily with farmers, fisherfolk, food processors, and market traders. Their stories are the front lines of Indonesia’s food resilience.

Indonesia has made quiet but meaningful progress in building food security:

• Local corn production rose by 30% over five years
• Rice import dependency has dropped sharply
• Regional food reserves are now backed by digital logistics and MSME cooperatives

This isn’t just agriculture—it’s national defense. Food sovereignty is our frontline shield against global volatility.

Moreover, by empowering over 65 million MSMEs, most of whom are women-led and food-related, we are decentralizing economic strength across the archipelago. These businesses are not only feeding the nation—they’re stabilizing it.

Biodiversity: Our Gift to a Hungry, Hotter World

Indonesia is one of the world’s top five biodiverse nations. But let us be clear—this is not just a fact to be proud of; it is a responsibility and a future export strategy.

• We have over 800 indigenous food crops.
• We are home to 10% of global plant species and 20% of coral reefs.
• We are the second-largest producer of seaweed, a future superfood and climate asset.

Imagine a world where sago from Papua, sorghum from East Nusa Tenggara, and breadfruit from Sulawesi become staples of global nutrition. Imagine seaweed powering bioplastics in Europe, and native herbs becoming tomorrow’s pharmaceuticals.

This isn’t fantasy—it’s strategy. But it requires investment in research, local knowledge, and ecosystem-based entrepreneurship. It means turning biodiversity into inclusive capital, not just protected land.

A New Metric for a New Era

Indonesia must stop allowing its development story to be boxed in by GDP rankings. We are more than a commodity exporter or a labor pool.

We are a future food bank, a biodiversity power, a diplomatic bridge, and an MSME-driven innovation hub.

Let’s redefine wealth—not as extractive profits—but as the sum of our natural, social, cultural, and enterprise ecosystems. Let’s build policy around inclusive wealth, where resilience, dignity, and sustainability are the true indicators of progress.

This is not just economic theory. This is how we will secure Indonesia’s place in the world—on our own terms.