A majority of households in sub-Saharan Africa use inefficient biomass stoves in poorly ventilated kitchens, leading to indoor air pollution. Biomass for cooking can be sustainably sourced from agricultural residues such as prunings from agroforestry. This study assessed biochar-producing gasifier cookstove performance among 150 households in Embu, Kwale, and Siaya Counties through household surveys and participatory cooking tests with 75 households. With the gasifier, carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations were lower in Embu (5.1 ppm), while carbon dioxide (CO2) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were lower in Kwale, at 588 ppm and 136 μg/m3, respectively. Compared to the three-stone open fire, reductions in CO and PM2.5 concentrations were highest in Embu, at 82% and 97%, respectively. The biomass-to-char conversion efficiency with the gasifier was 17–18%. If households consider the produced char as a soil amendment, they could save 24–43% of fuel compared to the three-stone open fire; if the char is seen as fuel, the potential savings are 42–65%. Significant differences between the three sites were observed with the gasifier for gross and net fuel use, and for concentrations of PM2.5 and CO2. Gasifier uptake can reduce the need for fuel collection and indoor air pollution, with a positive impact on both the environment and human wellbeing.
Tag: bioenergy
Environmental and social impacts of oil palm plantations and their implications for biofuel production in Indonesia
This paper reviews the development of oil palm with linkages to biofuel in Indonesia and analyzes the associated environmental and socioeconomic impacts. We selected three plantation study sites in West Papua (Manokwari), West Kalimantan (Kubu Raya), and Papua (Boven Digoel) to assess the impacts. Research findings indicate that the development of oil palm in all three sites has caused deforestation, resulting in significant secondary external impacts such as water pollution, soil erosion, and air pollution. In terms of social impacts, many stakeholder groups, i.e., employees, out-growers, and investing households, report significant gains. However, we found these benefits were not evenly distributed. Other stakeholders, particularly traditional landowners, experienced restrictions on traditional land use rights and land losses. We observed increasing land scarcity, rising land prices, and conflicts over land in all sites. Three major trade-offs are associated with the development of oil palm plantations, including those related to biofuels: unevenly distributed economic benefits are generated at the cost of significant environmental losses; there are some winners but also many losers; and economic gains accrue at the expense of weak rule of law. To reduce the negative impacts and trade-offs of oil palm plantations and maximize their economic potential, government decision makers need to restrict the use of forested land for plantation development, enforce existing regulations on concession allocation and environmental management, improve monitoring of labor practices, recognize traditional land use rights, and make land transfer agreements involving customary land more transparent and legally binding.
Land-based Investments for rural development?: A grounded analysis of the local Impacts of biofuel feedstock plantations in Ghana
The rapidly growing biofuel sector in Africa has, in recent years, been received with divided interest. As part of a contemporary wave of agricultural modernization efforts, it could make invaluable contributions to rural poverty. Conversely, it could also engender socioeconomically and environmentally detrimental land use changes as valuable land resources are converted to plantation agriculture. This research analyzes the impacts and impact pathways of biofuel feedstock development in Ghana. It finds that companies are accessing large contiguous areas of customary land through opaque negotiations with traditional authorities, often outside the purview of government and customary land users. Despite lack of participation, most customary land users were highly supportive of plantation development, with high expectations of ‘development’ and ‘modernization.’ With little opposition and resistance, large areas of agricultural and forested land are at threat of being converted to plantation monoculture. A case study analysis shows that this can significantly exacerbate rural poverty as communities lose access to vital livelihood resources. Vulnerable groups, such as women and migrants, are found to be most profoundly affected because of their relative inability in recovering lost livelihood resources. Findings suggest that greater circumspection by government is warranted on these types of large-scale land deals.
Integrating bioenergy and food production on degraded landscapes in Indonesia
A women’s association in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo
In Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo, where over 80% of households rely on charcoal, unsustainable production is a major driver of forest degradation. This study examines how the women’s association AFEVADES, in collaboration with CFT sawmill and CIFOR-ICRAF, transformed wood residues into sustainable charcoal, focusing on gender dynamics and environmental impacts. Initially an informal survival strategy, the initiative evolved after AFEVADES officially registered in 2020, gaining access to carbonization training and microcredit. As a result, the group doubled production efficiency, reduced processing time, and secured a stable wood supply.
The project has strengthened women’s economic autonomy, with women leading 95% of operations, managing earnings, and supporting households through food, education, and home construction. Over four years, 2,638 m³ of wood residues were converted into 11,000 bags of charcoal, reducing forest pressure. While still modest in scale, this model highlights the potential of gender-inclusive, community-driven solutions in supporting livelihoods and forest sustainability, emphasizing the need for policy support and investment to expand sustainable practices.
Refugee women grow trees to protect people and forests in northwest Uganda
This study explores the impact of deforestation in refugee settlements, particularly on women, who are often the primary collectors of firewood. The research highlights the dual role that women play as both victims of environmental degradation and agents of change. Through the case of Charity, a South Sudanese refugee, the study showcases how refugee women are taking the initiative to address the issue by planting trees and creating sustainable solutions to meet their energy and building material needs. Charity’s efforts reflect a broader movement where women, often marginalized in environmental decision-making, are leading community-based programs to conserve natural resources and protect their welfare.
Multipurpose benefits of Acacia saligna in drylands of northern Ethiopia
Firewood from on-farm tree pruning and biochar-producing cooking systems
To manage the challenges associated with the heavy reliance on fuelwood for cooking among rural farmers in Kenya, a systematic package of innovations addressing both sustainable tree supply and efficient/healthy consumption is required. On farms, cuttings taken from the pruning of multiuse woody plants, such as fruit trees, can provide households with an affordable and convenient source of firewood. Agroforestry or agriculture with trees for small farms may be carried out in different ways, where trees are planted along boundaries, as live fences, intercropped with crops or pasture or in woodlots. A study carried out in Kibugu village in Embu County showed that 40 % of the farmers depended exclusively on agroforestry for firewood supply (Njenga et al., 2017).
Resource recovery for briquettes and empowerment of women in humanitarian conditions in Kenya
Northern Kenya’s arid climate makes implementing conventional rain-fed agriculture difficult. This area is therefore mainly inhabited by pastoralists. At the same time, the area hosts refugees who have migrated from their homes due to conflicts and famine. The arrival of refugees exerts pressure on the already fragile natural resources in the host communities. Often the donor agencies provide food aid through the provision of grain and cooking oil to refugees. Where fuel is provided, it meets about 10 % of the cooking energy need (Njenga et al., 2015). Thus, a huge deficit of cooking energy exists, which is another aspect of food insecurity and a humanitarian challenge in refugee camps.
Retrospective on the hype: bottlenecks for Jatropha curcas bioenergy value chain development in Africa – a Kenyan case
Jatropha curcas (Jatropha), a shrubby tree native to Central America, thrives in many parts of the tropics and sub-tropics in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Asia. Though an essentially undomesticated shrub, Jatropha suddenly emerged as a promising biodiesel feedstock during the period 2003-2009, when rising petrol prices fuelled global interests in bioenergy crops. Jatropha was claimed to produce high-quality oil, and had a wide adaptability to diverse climatic zones and soil types, minimum input requirements, short gestation period, easy multiplication, drought tolerance, pest and disease resistance and an ability to grow under marginal conditions without competition for resources for food production. It was considered a ‘silver bullet’ to solve energy insecurity in low-income countries and to support economic development. Similarly, investors from developed nations were eager to grow it in large commercial plantations in SSA and elsewhere for export. However, many claims made regarding Jatropha have proven highly exaggerated (GTZ, 2009). After some years of plantation, the Jatropha boom halted. By 2009, many media reports revealed disillusioning episodes across the developing world. Academics also began to question its commercial viability as a bioenergy feedstock, with low yields (if no inputs) being a significant concern (GTZ, 2009; Ariza-Montobbio and Lele, 2010; Iiyama et al., 2013; NL Agency, 2013). In SSA, the Jatropha hype left many affected smallholder farmers confused and disillusioned. Yet few assessments (NL Agency, 2013) have critically examined the crop’s rather disorganised promotion and analysed failures on the ground from the value chain (VC) perspective. Considering a Kenyan case, we examine the following hypothesis: the recent Jatropha boom failed to deliver the claimed benefits for energy security and economic development, because (i) the bioenergy VC remained under-developed in SSA, and/or (ii) lacked the enabling environment present in other bioenergy VCs, e.g. India.