Turning ‘Mines to Vines’ in Afghanistan

Roots of Peace is a humanitarian initiative that toils to eliminate landmines and minefields by converting them into prosperous farmland and communities. Established by Heidi Kühn in 1997 following the untimely death of Princess Diana (who serves as the group’s inspiration for her dedication to international demining), the nonprofit organization is headquartered in San Rafael—the center of California’s rural grape growing region—and subsidized by public and private funding, including the California wine industry.

Its mission is to turn “mines into vines” by implementing a four-step solution: public awareness, landmine removal, rehabilitation for sufferers and land restoration. Agriculture, a crucial routine in mine-afflicted locales, is the principal focus. Victims are hired during the cycle of planting, cultivating and harvesting indigenous crops. “The freedom to walk the earth without fear is denied to innocent farmers and families who try to return to normal life following the aftermath of war,” Kühn says. So quite logically, this is thought to be an efficient method in revitalizing post-conflict circumstances as it rebuilds the local economies and promotes a sense of confidence.

Thus far, the “Mines into Vines” project has earned the commendation and support of 400+ California vintners, the U.S. State Department, UN, ABC 7/KGO TV and a host of other commercial entities. In 2002, Roots of Peace began its work in Afghanistan and has since eradicated over 100,000 mines in the Shomali Plains north of Kabul. Afghan farmers were then able to yield and export more than 90,000 metric tons (198,450,000 pounds) of grapes and raisins to Dubai, India, Pakistan, Ukraine and Russia.

A year later, Roots of Peace commenced a replanting campaign to revive Afghanistan’s once famous table grape industry. The organization, Kühn states, also plants “rice in Cambodia, cherries in Croatia, flowers in Bosnia, wheat in Iraq, and bananas in Angola.” Still, precedence is given to areas based on the extent of social and economic damage.

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