Solutions from Ukraine: Kyiv introduces Soul of Soil project to shed light on the life-changing impact of humanitarian demining

A presentation on the "Soul of Soil" project was held in Kyiv to raise awareness about the dangerous effects of mine contamination on Ukrainian lands.

At the event, dishes made from harvested crops in demined areas were showcased, according to Ukrinform.

What is the problem?

According to Yuliia Svyrydenko, Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, the humanitarian demining process should be carried out immediately.

"After all, we need to return people and create safe conditions for the life and work of Ukrainians," she emphasized.

The official stressed that Ukraine faces unparalleled challenges as it is currently the most heavily mined country in the world. Therefore, Ukraine must join forces with its partners.

What is the solution?

"That's why we made such a joint project with the UN Development Program and Olha Martynovska [Ukrainian chef, – ed.], to show that humanitarian demining has a human face, that it is about the fate of very specific people who cannot process fields because of their pollution," the government official emphasized.

How does it work?

The Soul of Soil project utilizes cooking to raise awareness about the issue of minefields.

The event featured a variety of dishes made with ingredients sourced from territories that have been successfully demined.

Chef Olha Martynovska, who is renowned for her involvement in multiple social initiatives, highlighted the gravity of this issue by creating the "world's most expensive dish"—zucchini caviar. Over 6,000 hectares of land were cleared of mines to cultivate the necessary ingredients.

Martynovska also presented five traditional Ukrainian dishes that symbolize the regions affected by the mine threat. Among them:

• borscht with donuts — Kyiv region,
• Deruny [shallow-fried pancakes of grated or ground potato – ed.] with porcini mushrooms — Chernihiv region,
• Hrechanyky [a dish made with buckwheat groats and other ingredients such as minced meat, mashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables – ed.]— Kharkiv region,
• buckwheat honey cake with raspberries – Mykolaiv region.

The ambassadors of various countries were invited to the event to once again draw their attention to the problem of humanitarian demining in Ukraine, "so that they would provide appropriate funds in their budgets for the next year and be able to support the operators and their material and technical base, so that we have more machines for demining, and we accelerated the process."

Deputy Secretary General of the UN and Deputy Administrator of the UN Development Program Haoliang Xu noted that a quarter of Ukraine's territory remains mined, affecting both people's lives and the economy.

"Ukraine's agricultural sector is crucial for global food security, and the devastating impact of landmines threatens not only Ukraine but also the most vulnerable population groups in the world.

UNDP is proud to support the Soul of Soil project, which highlights the urgent need for international cooperation to accelerate demining efforts and ensure that Ukraine's fertile lands can once again feed millions of people," he noted.

For reference:

The UN, along with the European Union and the World Bank, have estimated that the cost of demining is approximately 34.6 billion dollars. To combat this issue, the UN is backing the Ukrainian government and working in collaboration with other partners to establish a 10-year demining plan that will be implemented over the next three years.

The Soul of Soil project was presented on October 17 at the Conference on Mine Action in Ukraine (UMAC2024) in Lausanne, Switzerland.