Negeri Rempah Foundation in collaboration with the Research Center for Society and Culture, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)
23-26 September 2025
Hybrid (online and offline)
Jakarta, Indonesia
Spice Routes as Pathways of Sustainable Futures:
Bridging Heritage and Innovation
The 6th International Forum on Spice Routes (IFSR) held in 2025, builds on previous forums (2022–2024) continuing to explore the cultural, historical, and economic significance of the Spice Routes. The 2025 theme integrates historical insights with contemporary challenges, focusing on sustainability, cultural preservation, and innovation. The forum brings together diverse stakeholders—academics, policymakers, maritime communities, business leaders, artists, and NGOs—to explore how the Spice Routes can address global challenges.
The Spice Routes remain vital in maritime connectivity, shaping trade and cultural exchanges. While some view them as relics of the past, research shows their continued influence. IFSR, initiated by the Negeri Rempah Foundation in 2019, serves as a collaborative platform to discuss and advocate for the relevance of the Spice Routes in contemporary society. Since 2022, the foundation has partnered with the Research Center for Society and Culture (BRIN) to engage a wider audience.
The forum fosters cross-cultural dialogue and knowledge exchange, strengthening shared heritage through multidisciplinary discussions. It revisits and revitalizes the Spice Route practices, supporting social, economic, and political relevance in Southeast Asia and beyond. IFSR also promotes regional connectivity, tackles maritime community challenges, and enhances cultural interactions.
By intensifying discussions from previous forums, IFSR 2025 seeks to address modern challenges through a sustainable and inclusive approach.
Indonesia and Southeast Asia play a vital role in sustaining the Spice Routes as a dynamic force in global cultural, economic, and environmental discourse. Through multidisciplinary collaboration, it aims to strengthen heritage, address contemporary challenges, and foster inclusive engagement, ensuring the relevance of the Spice Routes in a rapidly evolving world:
The IFSR 2025 will feature hybrid sessions to enable broader participation.
Activities include:
We invite contributors to submit an abstract of 300 words. The abstract should include the proposed research questions, main argument, and methodology. Submissions should also include a title, name of the author(s), institutional affiliation(s), e-mail address, and a personal biography of 150 words. The abstract should be submitted to:
https://linktr.ee/negerirempah
Those whose abstracts are accepted will be expected to submit a full paper of between 5000-7000 words. Selected papers will later be included in the Proceedings of the International Forum on Spice Route, published by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and Negeri Rempah Foundation. Selected papers will be invited to be published as an edited volume in an international publication as the Forum’s important contribution to the Southeast Asia maritime and spice route literatures.
Artists/designers are invited to submit an abstract of 300 words, aligned with the concept notes of IFSR 2025, outlining the creative rationale behind their work. The abstract submission should include a title, name of the artist/designer(s), institutional affiliation(s), e-mail address, and a personal biography of 150 words. The abstract should be submitted to:
Those whose abstracts are accepted will be required to submit the final artwork along with a written creative rationale. Selected artwork will be featured in the IFSR 2025 Exhibition and included in an official Catalogue of Works published by the Negeri Rempah Foundation as part of the forum’s cultural documentation.
This forum welcomes a range of creative formats of applied art, including but not limited to,
All submitted artworks are expected to contribute meaningfully to the production and communication of knowledge related to the themes and issues addressed in the IFSR 2025 panel discussions. Submissions should go beyond aesthetic value and demonstrate a relevant conceptual relationship to the historical, cultural, and ecological narratives of the Spice Routes. The Call for Artwork aims to position design and visual expression not only as creative outputs but also as critical tools for cultural reflection, engagement, and public learning. This initiative aims to support knowledge production of the significance of the Spice Routes, bridging heritage, sustainability, and innovation through artistic expression and visual interpretation.
The Conference will cover several specific themes as follows:
Tracing the Spice: Phytogeography, Ethnobotany, and Sustainable Innovation
This panel explores the ecological, cultural, and economic dimensions of spices through phytogeography and ethnobotany. Ethnobotany reveals how spices are deeply rooted in local traditions, rituals, cuisine, and medicine, while phytogeography traces their historical movement across landscapes and continents. The discussion also seeks to uncover genetic connections between spice-producing regions and their role in biodiversity conservation. As climate change, food security, and resource sustainability become pressing global concerns, this panel provides a multidisciplinary platform for experts to discuss how spices have shaped civilizations and how their preservation can contribute to a sustainable bioeconomy. Through these insights, the panel aims to highlight the historical significance, ecological footprint, and future potential of spices in addressing contemporary challenges.
Mapping the People: Human Migration, Diaspora, and Social Networks
This panel explores the historical and contemporary impact of human migration along the Spice Routes, emphasizing how the movement of people facilitated the creation of diaspora communities, social networks, and political structures. The mobility of traders, seafarers, and settlers contributed to the formation of cultural identities, economic systems, and international relations, shaping the interconnected world we recognize today. By tracing migration patterns, this panel examines how maritime trade fostered cross-cultural exchanges, leading to the integration of languages, traditions, and governance systems in regions influenced by the spice trade. Through historical and modern case studies, it also highlights how migration shaped state formations, diplomatic ties, and transnational communities.
Interpreting the Metaphors: Creativity and Cultural Expressions along the Spice Routes
This panel explores how intercultural interactions along the Spice Routes have shaped new cultural identities, artistic expressions, and creative adaptations over time. By examining language, art, architecture, rituals, and cuisine, the discussion highlights cultural fusion and cultural synthesis as a result of continuous exchanges between diverse communities. The panel also investigates how tangible and intangible heritage, from textiles, architecture, and crafts to music, dance, and storytelling, has played a vital role in shaping community identity and fostering artistic innovation. Furthermore, this discussion emphasizes the role of creativity and aesthetics in harmonizing cultural traditions with changing environments, illustrating how artistic expressions function as both a form of adaptation and a bridge between past and present. As many of these cultural forms face the risk of decline, the panel will also address the challenges and opportunities in revitalizing endangered cultural expressions, ensuring that the traditions of the Spice Routes remain relevant in contemporary society. This panel seeks to redefine the impact of the Spice Routes on global artistic and cultural landscapes, bridging historical traditions with modern creative practices.
Decolonizing Heritage: Power, Identity, and the Geopolitics of Cultural Preservation
This panel explores the geopolitical stakes in cultural heritage management, focusing on power, ownership, and access in an era of decolonization and globalization. The debate over who controls heritage—states, private institutions, or local communities—remains contentious, as colonial legacies still shape narratives and preservation efforts. The discussion also examines how climate change threatens heritage sites, while technology offers both protection and risks, raising concerns about authenticity and cultural appropriation. Meanwhile, heritage is increasingly politicized, used in nationalist rhetoric, international diplomacy, and cultural tourism. As heritage remains a contested space, this panel critically rethinks its management through decolonial, sustainable, and inclusive approaches, ensuring preservation while empowering local communities.
Maritime Societies and Global Encounters: Seafarers, Trade, and Marine Resource Management
This panel highlights the indispensable role of maritime communities in sustaining the Spice Routes through seafaring, trade, and marine resource management. These communities mastered navigation, shipbuilding, and oceanic survival, facilitating the movement of goods, people, and ideas across continents. Their deep knowledge of the maritime environment and coastal ecosystems allowed them to not only sustain trade but also ensure food security and ecological balance. The discussion will also examine how these societies engaged in global trade networks, cultural exchanges, and economic innovations, shaping the legacy of the Spice Routes. Additionally, archaeological evidence and historical records will provide insights into the long-standing connection between maritime traditions and global commerce. Unlike the Mapping the People panel (panel 2), which focuses on migration and social structures, this panel specifically examines maritime societies as key facilitators of exchange, resource management, and navigation technologies that enabled the historical and economic endurance of the Spice Routes.
Deadline for abstract submission
15 May 2025
Notification of accepted abstracts
30 May 2025
Full Paper / Artwork submission
15 August 2025
Presentation submission
5 September 2025
The Conference / IFSR 2025
INSTAGRAM
WEBSITE
https://bit.ly/IFSR2025_Registration
