A total of 1,493 participants from across Indonesia enthusiastically participated in the Gen Halal Championship 2025, initiated by LPPOM as part of its commitment to building a national halal ecosystem. Embracing the spirit of “Explore, Compete, Inspire!”, this event provides a platform for young people to understand halal as a lifestyle of integrity that leads to goodness and blessings.
Thousands of students from across Indonesia participated in the Gen Halal Championship 2025, an educational event organized by LPPOM to promote halal enthusiasm and literacy among the younger generation. One of the series of events, the Webinar “Halal Lifestyle for the Future: Living Everyday with Halal Values,” was held on Saturday, October 25, 2025. This event generated high enthusiasm among young participants eager for knowledge and a spirit of inspiration.
By the time registration closed, 1,493 students had registered from across Indonesia. Pekanbaru had the most participants, followed by Bogor. Riau and West Java topped the list as the provinces with the highest participation. This participation figure demonstrates that awareness of the importance of a halal lifestyle is becoming increasingly entrenched among students.
In her remarks, the Director of LPPOM, Mrs. Muti, encouraged all participants to view halal as part of their character and lifestyle, not simply as a religious rule. “Indonesia is the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. This is not just a demographic fact, but a great potential that puts us in a strategic position to become a center of the global halal industry,” she said.
However, she believes that this great potential can only be realized if the public has strong halal literacy, particularly from a young age. “This is the foundation behind the birth of the Gen Halal Championship, an educational and inspirational platform where Indonesia’s young generation can learn to understand the concept of halal broadly. We want you to see halal not as a barrier, but as a value that leads to goodness, cleanliness, and a blessed life,” she emphasized.
Established in 1989, LPPOM has pioneered the halal certification system in Indonesia. However, according to Mrs. Muti, the task of building a halal ecosystem goes beyond certified products. More importantly, it fosters halal awareness and character in the younger generation. “The future of Indonesia’s halal food industry is in your hands—a generation that is critical, innovative, and imbued with integrity,” she said.
This year, the Gen Halal Championship carries the overarching theme “Explore, Compete, Inspire.” This theme encourages all participants to explore the halal world (explore) boldly, compete with a positive spirit (compete), and become a source of inspiration for others (inspire). “Gen Halal isn’t just about winning a competition, but about being part of a larger movement building Indonesia’s halal future,” said Muti confidently.
She added that in this fast-paced and digital era, halal values are an important moral foundation for the younger generation. “By understanding halal holistically, we will not only become smart consumers, but also a generation capable of contributing to the nation’s progress through a competitive and ethical halal industry,” she continued.
Meanwhile, Sherly Annafita Rahmi, a public communicator and content creator, as well as a guest judge at the event, delivered an inspiring message to the participants. She highlighted the important role of young people in shaping the nation’s future. “More than half of Indonesia’s population today is young. This means that the condition of our nation in the next 10-15 years will be largely determined by the decisions and character we shape from an early age,” she said.
Sherly emphasized that halal and thayyib are not just about food or products, but also about processes, responsibility, and sustainability. “We must ensure that every process is carried out in a good, clean, and responsible manner, and even provides sustainable benefits for the environment. These values will endure because they are accountable,” she explained.
She also encouraged all participants to continue exploring their insights and developing themselves. “This competition is not the end of everything. It is a platform for us to hone our skills, expand our networks, and amplify the values of goodness and halal for the wider community,” she said enthusiastically.
The enthusiasm of participants from Sabang to Merauke is clear evidence that the spirit of the halal generation continues to grow in Indonesia. As Mrs. Muti stated in her closing remarks, “Let’s make the Gen Halal Championship 2025 not just an annual competition, but a movement that fosters halal awareness among the younger generation. Hopefully, this event will produce future leaders who will lead Indonesia toward its grand goal: to become the world’s center of the halal industry.”
Through the spirit of Explore, Compete, Inspire!, the Gen Halal Championship 2025 exists not only to produce winners but to build a halal generation with integrity, intelligence, and readiness to lead Indonesia toward a blessed future. (YN)
