How Potato Head’s Hong Kong outpost helps Indonesian farmers

THE ONE AND ONLY I was born in Jakarta, an only child, which is not common in Indonesia, where families usually have two or three children. My maternal grandfather was Chinese, a farmer and landlord in Indonesia. My family told me lots of stories about how agriculture gave them a pampered life, getting fresh milk every day, good coconuts, rice and pork. My grandfather was pretty wealthy. My teachers in primary to junior high school thought I was rebellious. The teacher complained to my mom about my behaviour. I said that’s not my problem, that’s their problem – they’re so boring. They thought I was being disrespectful because I’m very direct and straightforward. As an only child I didn’t understand sharing or caring about others. I was also categorised as a super-smart kid, with an above-average IQ. Maybe because of that I was bored at school; it’s not like I was using drugs.

GOING PUBLIC I graduated from high school in 1999, one year after the big riots, when Chinese Indonesians were blamed for the political turmoil. My mom pushed me to go to the best university, the University of Indonesia, which was public. I thought it would be hard to get in because of discrimination against Chinese Indonesians and that I would go to a private or overseas university. Luckily, I was accepted. This was the turning point, when Chinese Indonesians got more access to government, and I felt more confident about my identity.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT I studied communications for development and then did my master’s in Sweden, 10 years later. I love Scandinavian countries, their egalitarian lifestyle, their love of nature, simplicity and quality of life. After two years there, I got a scholarship from the Italian government to study Italian, so I lived in Tuscany and it was a good experience to study food and agriculture. Italians are really mad about their food. I met small-scale producers, to study their heirloom-breed cows, how to make olive oil, wine and cheese, where to find good coffee. Italy shaped my point of view of food. I thought I had to do this back at home, and returned (to Jakarta) in 2014.

BACK TO THE LAND I love to eat and, when you start to eat good food, you reflect on where it comes from. I got the chance to go to remote areas, to learn more about agriculture, cooking techniques and food culture. Indonesia is one of the biggest food producers in the world but it’s losing one million farmers every year because the younger generation wants to live in the city.