Indonesian consumers’ perceptions of daun kelor

(Moringa oleifera)
H. Irawan1, Efendi1 and R.C. Patricio2,a
1Frontier Consulting Group/PT Unimax Power, Gading Bukit Indah, Jl. Bukit Gading Raya - Kelapa Gading, Jakarta
Utara 14240, Indonesia; 2Goducate Ltd., 1 Commonwealth Lane No. 02-12, One Commonwealth, 149544,
Singapore.

Abstract
This study was conducted in five leading urban and rural areas of Indonesia
(Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, Medan, and Makassar) from March 9 to April 3, 2015
through face-to-face interviews with 600 respondents using the multi-stage random
sampling technique. Results showed that 99.8% of the respondents were aware of
daun kelor but only 20% knew that the same plant is known worldwide as moringa.
Asked what comes into mind whenever daun kelor is mentioned, 32% of the
respondents said that it cures/treats disease; cures/treats itchiness – 25.1%; has
medicinal properties – 14.8%; increases mother’s milk flow – 11.5%; difficult to find –
8.2%; reduces fever – 5.5%; removes magical implants – 4.4%; has small leaves –
3.8%; has anti-satanic ability – 2.7%; and can be consumed as vegetable – 2.7%. In
terms of perceived benefits as herbal medicine, the majority of the respondents
(85.3%) claimed that daun kelor is superior because the extract comes from natural
ingredients; is safe to consume – 76.2%; has no side effects – 59.3%; and has similar
effectiveness with non-herbal medicine – 56.2%. About 46% of the respondents
expressed that they trust daun kelor extract, while another 37% reported interest in
future consumption of the extract as herbal medicine. These findings indicate the
need to maximize the herbal potential of daun kelor and, most importantly, the high
imperative of popularizing the consumption of daun kelor as vegetable to reduce the
high prevalence (37.2%) of stunted children in Indonesia.

Keywords: moringa, daun kelor, herbal medicine, extract, perceptions, awareness benefits,
magical implant

INTRODUCTION
Moringa oleifera used to be cultivated mainly in the tropics (Martin and Ruberte,
1979) but has now spread to other parts of Asia, Africa, South America, North America,
Europe, and many islands in the Pacific (Baba et al., 2015). In Southeast Asia, moringa is
commonly grown in the backyard of households in the Philippines, Malaysia, and in
Indonesia, particularly in Sulawesi, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara Timur. Considered as one of the
world’s most useful trees, moringa is cultivated for human food, medicine, cosmetics, and
many other purposes such as livestock feeds, soil fertility improvement, water purification,
and various industrial applications (Palada, 1996; Umbertor, 2000).
Although there is a growing international interest in moringa, it remains a grossly
underexploited plant in Indonesia. The national and local government units and the majority
of NGOs and private sector stakeholders are oblivious to the multiple uses and potentials of
moringa. This study sought to unearth the perceptions of Indonesian consumers towards
daun kelor and their perspectives on the nutritive and herbal attributes of moringa.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was conducted in five urban and five rural areas each of Jakarta (6°12’ S;
106°49’ E), Semarang (6°58’ S; 110°25’ E), Surabaya (7°15’55” S; 112°44’33” E), Medan
(3°35’ N; 98°40’ E), and Makassar (5°8’ S; 119°25’ E) (Figure 1). A total of 600 respondents
a
E-mail: ricpatricio@icloud.com

  Acta Hortic. 1158. ISHS 2017. DOI 10.17660/ActaHortic.2017.1158.44 391

Proc. I International Symposium on Moringa
 
Eds.: A.W. Ebert and M.C. Palada
were selected through multi-stage area random sampling. The criteria included 25- to 65-
year-old respondents only, male or female with minimum monthly family expenditures of
IDR 1,500,000 (USD 120), and familiar with moringa or daun kelor (Table 1).

Figure 1. Map of Indonesia.

Table 1. Distribution of sampled respondents.

Number City Urban Rural Total
1 Jakarta 100 100 200
2 Semarang 50 50 100
3 Surabaya 50 50 100
4 Medan 50 50 100
5 Makassar 50 50 100
Total   300 300 600
The main instrument for data collection was structured questionnaire with face to face
interview as contact method. Primary data were collected on the socio-economic
characteristics of the respondents and their awareness of some herbal plants, perceptions of
daun kelor, and level of trust and interest in daun kelor extracts. Secondary data on the
growth of the herbal pharmaceutical industry in Indonesia were obtained from publications
of the Indonesian Medical Society. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such
as frequency counts and percentages.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The historical growth of the Indonesian pharmaceutical industry from 2009 to 2014 is
shown in Table 2. In nominal terms, there were positive increases in sales for both
prescription and over the counter (OTC) medicines during the given period but the
cumulative growth rate for prescription medicine outstripped that of OTC by 21%. The
yearly growth rate of the total market, however, showed a declining trend which could be
attributed to marked weakening of the Indonesian rupiah.

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Table 2. Historical growth of Indonesian pharmaceutical industry.
Particular 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Prescription (IDR in trillion) 19.8 22.9 25. 1 27.1 31.7 34.3
Growth (%) 15.2 9.8 8.1 17.0 8.2
Over the counter (IDR in trillion) 15.7 15.7 18. 1 20.5 22.1 23.9
Growth (%) 0.6 14.9 13.1 7.8 8.2
Total market (IDR in trillion) 35.5 38.6 43.2 47.6 53.8 58.2
Growth (%) 8.7 11.9 10.2 13.0 8.2
The market share of herbal medicine in Indonesia is estimated at 20% of the total
medicine consumption. This is a huge market that translates to a billion US dollar industry
(Figure 2). Asked about their awareness of common herbal plants, almost all of the
respondents claimed knowledge of daun kelor and buah mengkudu, while slightly more than
50% were aware of curcuma. The word ‘moringa’ was known to only 20% while even a
fewer percentage of the respondents had heard of buah noni (Figure 3).

Medicine consumption: USD 4.6 billion = USD 19 (IDR 237.500) person-1 year-1.

20%

Herbal consumption: 20% × IDR 237,500 = IDR 47.500 (USD 3.8)
person-1 year-1

IDR 47,500 x 250,000,000 = IDR 11.875 Trillion (USD 950,000,000)

Figure 2. Comparative consumption of prescribed medicine and herbal products in
Indonesia.

Figure 3. Percentage distribution of respondents’ awareness of common herbal plants.

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 Slightly more than one-third of the respondents were aware that daun kelor can be
eaten or cooked as vegetable. A quarter of them, however, believed that daun kelor is anti-
satanic or for fighting sorcery. They explained that when a person has an amulet or
underwent a magical implant (susuk), he could not be pierced by a bullet or wounded by a
knife. If struck, however, with a daun kelor stem, his power would disappear. This myth was
quite pervasive in West Java. The plant was also perceived to have small leaves by about 15%
of the respondents, while less than 10% claimed that daun kelor has various health benefits
(Figure 4).

Figure 4. Things that spring into the respondent’s mind whenever daun kelor is mentioned.
The majority of respondents agreed on daun kelor as herbal medicine. About 96%
stated that the herbal medicine is made from natural ingredients, while more than half
(56.2%) of them described the price as affordable (Figure 5). Less than 8% of the
respondents did not trust daun kelor but the proportion of those who trust/highly trust
(45.8%) the plant was almost similar to those with indifferent stance (47%; Figure 6).
Figure 7 shows that the level of interest in consuming daun kelor among the respondents
was 37.1% and was slightly lower than those with neutral perspective (49.8%).

Figure 5. Percentage distribution of those who agree on daun kelor as herbal medicine.

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Figure 6. Percentage distribution of level of trust in herbal medicine made from daun kelor
extracts.

Figure 7. Percentage distribution of level of interest in consuming daun kelor extracts.

CONCLUSIONS
The findings of the study indicate the imperative need of maximizing the herbal
potential of daun kelor. Intensifying its promotion as vegetable to reduce the high prevalence
(37.2%) of stunted Indonesian children should be accorded utmost importance by the
national and local authorities, NGOs, and other concerned stakeholders in Indonesia.
Enhanced informational campaign on the production, benefits, processing, and utilization of
daun kelor should be carried out through seminars, trainings, and symposia.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors express their gratitude to all the respondents, key contacts, interviewers,
and staff for their contributions toward making this study possible.

Literature cited
Baba, M.D., et al. (2015). Costs and returns of Moringa (Moringa oleifera) production in Zurun local government
area of Kebbi State, Nigeria. New York Science Journal 8 (1), 36–40.
Martin, F.W., and Ruberte, R.M. (1979). Edible Leaves of the Tropics, 2nd edn (Mayaguez, PR: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Science, and Education Administration, Agricultural Research, Southern Region).
Palada, M.C. (1996). Moringa oleifera: a multipurpose tree with horticultural potential in southeastern USA.
HortScience 31 (5), 794–797.
Umbertor, Q, (2000). World dictionary of plant names, common names, and scientific names. Eponyms and
Etymology 3, 1251–1731.

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