Cleaner cooking while producing biochar: factors affecting adoption of gasifier cookstoves in rural areas
(2019) Agricultural Research for Development Conference 2019- Abstract
- A majority of households in developing countries use biomass energy for cooking and heating due to its affordability and accessibility. However, unsustainable biomass use leads to deforestation, environmental degradation and climate change. The pollution from open burning of biomass is a major health concern especially for women and children as they spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Biochar-producing gasifier cookstoves offer an opportunity to address many of these problems, while also producing biochar, which can be used as a soil amendment. A study was carried out in order to investigate factors influencing the adoption of these cookstoves in three sites in Kenya (Kwale, Embu and Siaya). After an introductory training, 150 households... (More)
- A majority of households in developing countries use biomass energy for cooking and heating due to its affordability and accessibility. However, unsustainable biomass use leads to deforestation, environmental degradation and climate change. The pollution from open burning of biomass is a major health concern especially for women and children as they spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Biochar-producing gasifier cookstoves offer an opportunity to address many of these problems, while also producing biochar, which can be used as a soil amendment. A study was carried out in order to investigate factors influencing the adoption of these cookstoves in three sites in Kenya (Kwale, Embu and Siaya). After an introductory training, 150 households received cookstoves and were asked to use them to produce biochar for upcoming field experiments. User experiences were collected through
surveys after 2-3 months and about 2 years, and at workshops. The main benefits of the cookstove identified by the users were fuel saving with significant impacts on household economies, reduced smoke and production of biochar for either cooking or soil amendment. Challenges were related to lighting, a need to refill the fuel canister, fuel preparation and different suitability for different types
of meals and meal sizes. The gasifier use frequency and biochar production rates differed between the sites, which had different climate, socio-economic conditions and fuel accessibility. The results will be of relevance for inclusion of user participation in cookstove designing and performance assessment as well as for stakeholders involved in marketing. They can also give guidance on the
relevance of gasifier cookstoves for production of biochar for use on farms. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/dd34afc6-43d3-429a-8847-d42d57a6ce0c
- author
- K Gitau, James ; Njenga, Mary ; Mendum, Ruth ; Mutune, Jane ; Mahmoud, Yahia LU and Sundberg, Cecilia
- organization
- publishing date
- 2019-09-25
- type
- Contribution to conference
- publication status
- published
- subject
- conference name
- Agricultural Research for Development Conference 2019
- conference location
- Uppsala, Sweden
- conference dates
- 2019-09-25 - 2019-09-26
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- dd34afc6-43d3-429a-8847-d42d57a6ce0c
- date added to LUP
- 2019-09-26 13:57:47
- date last changed
- 2019-09-27 08:46:12
@misc{dd34afc6-43d3-429a-8847-d42d57a6ce0c,
abstract = {{A majority of households in developing countries use biomass energy for cooking and heating due to its affordability and accessibility. However, unsustainable biomass use leads to deforestation, environmental degradation and climate change. The pollution from open burning of biomass is a major health concern especially for women and children as they spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Biochar-producing gasifier cookstoves offer an opportunity to address many of these problems, while also producing biochar, which can be used as a soil amendment. A study was carried out in order to investigate factors influencing the adoption of these cookstoves in three sites in Kenya (Kwale, Embu and Siaya). After an introductory training, 150 households received cookstoves and were asked to use them to produce biochar for upcoming field experiments. User experiences were collected through<br/>surveys after 2-3 months and about 2 years, and at workshops. The main benefits of the cookstove identified by the users were fuel saving with significant impacts on household economies, reduced smoke and production of biochar for either cooking or soil amendment. Challenges were related to lighting, a need to refill the fuel canister, fuel preparation and different suitability for different types<br/>of meals and meal sizes. The gasifier use frequency and biochar production rates differed between the sites, which had different climate, socio-economic conditions and fuel accessibility. The results will be of relevance for inclusion of user participation in cookstove designing and performance assessment as well as for stakeholders involved in marketing. They can also give guidance on the<br/>relevance of gasifier cookstoves for production of biochar for use on farms.}},
author = {{K Gitau, James and Njenga, Mary and Mendum, Ruth and Mutune, Jane and Mahmoud, Yahia and Sundberg, Cecilia}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{09}},
title = {{Cleaner cooking while producing biochar: factors affecting adoption of gasifier cookstoves in rural areas}},
year = {{2019}},
}