Indonesia is a tropical country located on the equator which causes Indonesia has good weather that can produce various natural resources and abundant biodiversity. Indonesia is the second-largest country after Brazil as a biodiversity country with approximately 28,000 plant species of which 1,845 are identified as medicinal plants (Salim & Munadi, 2017, #). Where Indonesian medicinal plants are Indonesia’s superior products that are maximized both in domestic and foreign production. Reporting from the Indonesia Stock Exchange, it was stated that the Indonesian Moringa leaf tea industry originating from West Nusa Tenggara is Indonesia’s leading product, which is capable of producing 200 tons per day and has succeeded in exporting to 13 countries in the United States and Europe. The Moringa leaf tea industry is managed by CV Tri Utami Jaya and the production of Moringa leaf tea is increasing every year that it makes The export destination countries are also increasing. One of the new export destinations for Indonesia in 2022 is Madrid. The increasing of Indonesia’s export destination countries, it shows that Indonesian local products through the production of Moringa leaf tea have succeeded in presenting enjoyment and benefits to the international community. This Moringa leaf has been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) which is safe for consumption and has named the Moringa tree as a miracle tree because it has found various benefits from Moringa leaves.
Moringa leaves can not only be consumed by adults but babies and children in their infancy can also consume it. Because Moringa leaves have various ingredients that have benefits for maintaining human health, including Moringa leaves contain three times more potassium than bananas, four times more calcium than milk, seven times more Vitamin C than oranges, and four times more Vitamin A. than carrots, and has twice the protein content of milk (Buleleg Regency Government, 2018, #). It shows that through the production of Indonesian Moringa leaf tea, Indonesia can become a contributing country to producing herbal products through plants. medicinal plants produced to maximize the potential of medicinal plants that can be used by local Indonesian and international communities to improve the branding of the quality of Indonesian herbal products, contribute to meeting the international supply of wellness products and increase local potential as a strategy to improve the country’s economy. However, Indonesia’s potential for rich herbal plants has not been fully maximized and herbal product innovations are still being neglected. Especially in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the demand for traditional medicines is always increasing, both national and international demand as selected alternative herbal medicines. Based data from the Indonesian Central Statistics Agency shows that export activities of medicinal plants from Indonesia to main destination countries continue to increase even in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the number of medicinal plant exports from Indonesia to partner destination countries in 2020 was 618,450.6 US$ compared to the previous year. in 2019 only 592,487.6US$ (Central Bureau of Statistics, 2021, #). Based the data from the Indonesian Ministry of Finance explained that in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the demand for traditional medicines has increased by 8.45%. Which data shows that if Indonesian medicinal plants are maximized to produce herbal products, this can make a positive contribution to the Indonesian economy (Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia, 2021, #). This shows that Indonesian herbal products can be products that can survive even in the midst of a pandemic. Moringa leaves not only contain ingredients that can only be consumed through tea, but Moringa leaves also contain ingredients that can be used as a beauty product. This is because Moringa leaves have the benefits of more than 30 antioxidant substances that are beneficial for skin health and Moringa leaves are also rich in minerals and amino acids that can produce collagen and keratin protein, which are important ingredients for the health of all skin in the body (Buleleg Regency, 2018, #).
However, in maximizing these benefits, there are no further innovations to be developed as a long-term strategy to produce products other than herbal tea products. If many innovations are found, this will produce more local products that can become a national identity to be promoted Nation Branding in the future. the success of Indonesian Moringa Leaf Tea which has succeeded in exporting tea products in large quantities, which through Moringa leaf tea can replace the nutrition of the international community to meet animal and vegetable protein needs (Anggraeni, 2022, #). This has shown that if Indonesia can produce other product innovations through Moringa leaf raw materials, this can be Indonesia’s potential as a strategy to improve the economy of a country and introduce Indonesia’s biodiversity through the production of Indonesian herbal products, which is in branding products. Indonesian herbal medicine requires the involvement of various actors including state and non-state actors. The government and the Indonesian people can contribute to introducing local products to create Nation Branding both through international events such as international expos, cross-border e-commerce, and maximizing the Indonesian diaspora network spread throughout the country. In addition to the need to provide education, especially to the Indonesian people regarding the importance of maximizing medicinal plants to be used as herbal products. Because Indonesia is a country that is rich in biodiversity, it has various species of medicinal plants. And 80% of the consumers of these herbal drinks are Indonesian people, but there is a lack of socialization about the benefits of the efficacy of the content of medicinal plants. Therefore, education is important to increase public awareness of the importance of consuming and producing herbal products by maximizing the natural wealth owned and not only maximizing export activities, however, it is necessary to make a balance between the needs of the local Indonesian market and the international market.
