Laureate awarded for work in turning land mines into vines

Heidi Kuhn accepted the World Food Prize’s top honor in Des Moines, Iowa in October. It was her work on the other side of the planet that led to this moment but it all started on the west coast of the United States during the 1970s.

Kuhn was inspired by the peace movements of the era.  Her motivation to help others came while she was studying political economics at the University of California - Berkley. 

After graduation, she began traveling the world via a career in journalism - even starting her own news organization with some of her work being featured on several networks around the globe.  

During what could have been the peak of her first career, Kuhn was diagnosed with cancer. After emerging from treatment in 1997, she founded Roots of Peace, inspired by Princess Diana’s work clearing land mines. 

Building on her passion for peace, Kuhn started turning mines into vines. Her first big effort was in Croatia where thousands of explosive devices were removed from the ground. The next steps included replanting of the cleared areas in grapes and orchards. To fund the venture, she rallied renowned Napa Valley vintners behind her cause, eventually gaining help from the U.S. State Department and other international organizations.  

Roots of Peace moved forward with clearing minefields and rebuilding the economic base of several rural communities in the wake of the war. The seeds that were planted became opportunities for Kuhn’s work to help relaunch the wine industry across Croatia.

Heidi Kuhn: “I believe this is a moment in human history for the removal of a landmine and the planting of a grapevine or tree of life is an act of peace.”

Soon after, she turned her focus to Afghanistan - helping reclaim the country’s fields - ushering in growth and prosperity - all while bringing back native varieties. Afghani’s were able to raise table grapes on cement trellises - boosting productivity by taking the produce away from pests and moisture.  

Kuhn: “Peace is possible. Peace through agriculture. Ladies and gentlemen, this award is not something to put on a shelf. This award is a platform for peace on Earth.”

This move helped double yields while improving agriculture and management processes in Afghanistan.

Her next project took her to the DMZ in Vietnam in 2010. After demining, the explosives were replaced with 1.6 million black pepper trees. The restart of the industry put 3,500 farmers back to work. 

During the past quarter century, Roots of Peace has funded the removal of over 100-thousand landmines and unexploded bombs from fields around the world benefitting more than 1 million farmers.

At the Borlaug Dialogue in the days ahead of the formal ceremony, Kuhn announced an expansion of her work to the country of Ukraine, taking on the task of demining and removing unexploded ordnance in the southern region of the country near Odessa.

Heidi Kuhn: “So we're working on a partnership with these wonderful deminers and most importantly, the Ukrainian Wine Association, because this is a country that, you know, has provided the most beautiful wines and and from mines to vines, again, to be very clear, the fruit of the vine may be fermented in a fine bottle of wine, but in the case of Afghanistan, it's only fresh grapes and raisins.  So we're very sensitive to the culture of the country. We're working. But this is a very, very special bottle that was sent to me by the farmers in Nikolayev. And it is the Roots piece Cabernet Sauvignon, harvested from the former mine fields of Ukraine.”

 At the same event, Kuhn cited the bible as the inspiration for her work. 

Heidi Kuhn: “And I just Cheryl would like to hold this shovel up in my battle cry for peace. And the words that are respected by various faiths, in Old Testament, may they beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. So that nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

For Market to Market, I’m David Miller. 

Contact: Paul.Yeager@iowapbs.org