Difference between revisions of "Frequently Asked Questions on Cooking Technologies"

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<font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">[[Cooking_Energy_Compendium|<font color="#002bb8">--&gt; Back to Overview Compendium</font> ]]</span></font>
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[[File:GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium small.png|left|831px|GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium|alt=GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium small.png|link=GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium]]<br/><br/><!--
  
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-->{{#ifeq: {{#show: {{PAGENAME}} |?Hera category}} | Basics |'''[[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Basics about Cooking Energy|Basics]]''' {{!}} | [[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Basics about Cooking Energy|Basics]] {{!}} | }} <!--
  
<font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">Why are you still disseminating the same old stoves?</span></font>
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-->{{#ifeq: {{#show: {{PAGENAME}} |?Hera category}} | Policy Advice |'''[[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Policy Advice on Cooking Energy|Policy Advice]]''' {{!}} | [[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Policy Advice on Cooking Energy|Policy Advice]] {{!}} | }} <!--
  
<span style="color: #000000"><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">The same old stoves are not being disseminated. Like most technologies, stoves are continually being</span><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">improved. During the last twenty-five years modern woodfuel stoves have been developed to match people’s needs, aspirations and economic capacity. Although contrained to some extent by the need to use the same low-cost materials, new designs are making substantial inroads into solving many of the old problems such as indoor air pollution and low overall efficiency. Modern stove reduce harmful emissions, improving the health of the family. Improved biomass stoves save between 40% and 80% of fuel, which reduces the workload of women who need to collect fuel.</span></font></span>
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-->{{#ifeq: {{#show: {{PAGENAME}} |?Hera category}} | Planning |'''[[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Planning Cooking Energy Interventions|Planning]]''' {{!}} | [[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Planning Cooking Energy Interventions|Planning]] {{!}} | }} <!--
  
<span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">Clean renewable fuels are becoming available to many (including ethanol and plant oils), and stoves to burn such fuels have been developed. </font></span></span>
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-->{{#ifeq: {{#show: {{PAGENAME}} |?Hera category}} | ICS Supply |'''[[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Designing and Implementing Improved Cookstoves .28ICS.29 Supply Interventions|Designing and Implementing ICS Supply]]''' {{!}} | [[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Designing and Implementing Improved Cookstoves .28ICS.29 Supply Interventions|Designing and Implementing ICS Supply]] {{!}} | }} <!--
  
<span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">Often in the past it was not the technology, but rather accessing it, that was the problem. Ways to provide access to all these technologies are now available. By working with communities rather than for them, and addressing issues around capital cost, many of the problems of lack of uptake are now in the past. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;</span>Through these new stoves, technical skills are passed on and income is created. All this helps to improve the quality of everyday life.</font></span></span>
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-->{{#ifeq: {{#show: {{PAGENAME}} |?Hera category}} | Woodfuel Supply |'''[[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Designing and Implementing Woodfuel Supply Interventions|Designing and Implementing Woodfuel Supply]]''' {{!}} | [[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Designing and Implementing Woodfuel Supply Interventions|Designing and Implementing Woodfuel Supply]] {{!}} | }} <!--
  
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-->{{#ifeq: {{#show: {{PAGENAME}} |?Hera category}} | Climate Change |'''[[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Climate Change Related Issues|Climate Change]]''' | [[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Climate Change Related Issues|Climate Change]] {{!}} | }} <!--
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span>
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-->{{#ifeq: {{#show: {{PAGENAME}} |?Hera category}} | Extra |'''[[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Climate Change Related Issues|Extra]]''' | [[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium#Climate Change Related Issues|Extra]] }}
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">Are improved stoves really saving that much?</font></span>  
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<span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">That depends on various factors – the quality of a stove in terms of its technical superiority and the materials used will be important issues. Savings of 50% to 60% per stove per household are realistic, and for institutional stoves savings as high as 80% have been measured, where they have been used correctly. </font></span></span>
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== Why are you still disseminating the same old stoves? ==
  
<span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">What is less well known is how often the stove is used, and whether it is being used correctly. This is why it is necessary to provide support to the consumer so that, with good sense, they will use it properly. </font></span></span>
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The same old types of stoves are not being disseminated, at least in the majority of cases, even though they might look the same. Like most technologies, stoves are continously being improved. During the last twenty-five years, modern woodfuel stoves have been developed to match people’s needs, aspirations, and economic capacity. Although constrained to some extent by the need to use the same low-cost materials, new designs are making substantial inroads into solving many of the old problems such as indoor air pollution and low overall efficiency. Modern stoves reduce harmful emissions, improving the health of the family. Improved biomass stoves can save between 40% and 80% of fuel, which reduces the workload of women who need to collect fuel.
  
<span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span></span><span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">Looking at the economics, for example Uganda, it was shown that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>savings are possible for households and the country’s economy, through reductions in fuelwood use, time spent, ill-health, and emissions of carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>). At the same time, stove producers earned an improved income, so that advantages of efficient stoves were quickly evident and understood by all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span></font></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span>
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Clean renewable fuels (including ethanol and plant oils) are becoming available to many, and stoves to burn such fuels have been developed.
  
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In the past the problem was often not the technology, but rather the access to it. Ways to provide access to all these technologies are now available. By working with communities rather than for them and addressing issues around capital cost, many of the lack of uptake problems are now in the past. Through these new stoves, technical skills are passed on and income is created. All this helps to improve the quality of everyday life.
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">How can a whole country be reached?</font></span>  
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<span style="color: #000000"><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">An important activity is to promote the interest and buy-in of local and national decision makers. If they are aware of the benefits, they are more likely to provide financial and strategic support. They can help to upgrade a country’s technical and entrepreneurial skills. They may have resources to implement </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">proven</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"> dissemination strategies to increase the manufacture and marketing of stoves at national level, leading to a sustainable stoves market over much of the country. </span></font></span><font face="Arial"></font>
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<span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">To reach large sectors of the population, a collaborative approach is needed. This needs to be well supported financially, and should incorporate local NGOs, the private sector, the government (creating a positive political climate), and expert professionals from national and international development organizations. At this point a self-sustaining process can successfully be initiated</font></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">.</font></span>
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== Are improved stoves really saving that much? ==
  
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That depends on various factors such as the quality of a stove in terms of its technical superiority and the materials used. Savings of 40% to 60% per stove per household are realistic, and for institutional stoves savings as high as 80% have been measured, when used correctly.
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">Why not subsidize the stoves and supply whole countries and regions in one go?</font></span>
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What is less well known is how often the stove is used, and whether it is being used correctly. This is why it is necessary to provide support to the consumer so that, with good sense, they will use it properly.
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span><span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">There are indeed valid arguments in favour of subsidies to speed up dissemination – after all, almost all modern fuels were subsidized in the beginning – but there are also important arguments against it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Perhaps the most important is that subsidies expire after a while and there is a danger that the whole system will break down – this has been experienced in several countries. Since we are concerned here with a continuous supply of improved stoves, it is important to develop sustainable market mechanisms. For this to happen, demand and supply should balance each other. Initial subsidies are important, but they should be provided primarily for promotion, training of producers, and certification or quality control, while the product (the stove), should be made available through the market.</font></span></span>  
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Economically speaking, it has been shown that savings are possible on both the household and country level. Savings are enabled by reductions in fuelwood use, time spent, ill-health, and carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>)emissions. At the same time, stove producers can earn an income higher than the one they recieved before producing stoves.
  
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<font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">If the stoves really are that beneficial, why do they not spread spontaneously?</span></font>  
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== How can a whole country be reached?<br/> ==
  
<span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">When people have very little money – which is the case for the lower income groups in most developing countries – the scarce financial resources are used to satisfy other, more pressing needs, such as buying food, clothes, medicine or paying school fees. If people are unaware of the serious health risks, and of ways to purchase a stove using credit, the purchase of an improved stove is not a top priority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></font></span></span>
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An important activity is to promote the interest and buy-in of local and national decision makers. If decision makers are aware of the benefits, they are more likely to provide financial and strategic support. They can help upgrade a country’s technical and entrepreneurial skills. They may have resources to implement proven dissemination strategies to increase the manufacture and marketing of stoves at national level, leading to a sustainable stoves market over much of the country.
  
<br>
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To reach large sectors of the population, a collaborative approach is needed. This needs to be financially well supported, and should incorporate local NGOs, the private sector, the government (creating a positive political climate), and expert professionals from national and international development organizations. At this point, a self-sustaining process can successfully be initiated.
  
<font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">Why is acceptance of these new technologies so difficult?</span></font>  
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<span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">Many energy-efficient stoves require a change in behaviour for communities who have been using a three-stone fire for many, many generations. This adaptation takes time. Cooking is a very personal activity that is carried out, like a number of other domestic activities, almost subconsciously, since it has been learned from an early age. The users will only change their customs if they have experienced many advantages of the new technology over a period of time.</font></span></span>
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== Why not subsidize the stoves and supply whole countries and regions in one go? ==
  
<br>
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There are indeed valid arguments in favour of subsidies to speed up dissemination – after all, almost all modern fuels were subsidized in the beginning – but there are also important arguments against it. Perhaps the most important one is that subsidies expire after a while and there is a danger that the whole system will break down. This has been experienced in several countries. Since we are concerned here with a continuous supply of improved stoves, it is important to develop sustainable market mechanisms. For this to happen, demand and supply should balance each other out. Initial subsidies are important, but they should be indirect and be provided primarily for promotion, training of producers, and certification or quality control, while the product (the stove), should be sold without direct subsidy.
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span>
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<br/>
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span>
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== If the stoves really are that beneficial, why do they not spread spontaneously? ==
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">Do modern stoves not destroy cultural traditions? </font></span>
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When people have very little money – which is the case for the lower income groups in most developing countries – the scarce financial resources are used to satisfy other, more pressing needs, such as buying food, clothes, medicine or paying school fees. If people are unaware of the serious health risks, and of ways to purchase a stove using credit, the purchase of an improved stove is not a top priority.
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span><span style="color: #000000"><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">It is indeed true that the use of new, energy-efficient stoves often means changing age-old cooking traditions. People will only get used to the new ways and integrate these into their socio-cultural </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">organisation if they see the benefits, particularly for their children</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">. However, people are ready to adapt established traditions to use the new technologies if the new products have been adapted to meet their needs, and if their advantages are convincing.</span></font><br></span>
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<span style="color: #000000"><font face="Arial">&lt;span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb" /&gt;</font></span>
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== Why is acceptance of energy efficient stoves a difficult barrier? ==
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span>
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Introducing an energy-efficient stoves requires a behaviour change for communities who have been used to a three-stone fire. This adaptation takes time. Cooking is a very personal activity that, like a number of other domestic activities, is deeply embedded in the cultural behaviour of the individual user. Customs are only changed if the user perceives advantages of the new technology over a prolonged period of time.
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span>
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== Do modern stoves not destroy cultural traditions? ==
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">How long do the new stoves last?</font></span>
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It is true that the use of new, energy-efficient stoves often means changing age-old cooking traditions. People will only get used to new habits if there are perceived benefits, for them and their children. However, people are ready to adapt established traditions to use the new technologies if the new products have been adapted to meet their needs, and if the advantages are convincing.
  
<span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">It depends on the build quality of the stove, the materials used, and whether people care for them. They will be looked after if they are valued by the users, and if they have been well introduced. The lifetime of certain types of stoves can vary between six months to six or more years. Generally stoves should last more than two years, otherwise they will break before people are used to them, and they may not be replaced. More expensive stoves that last longer are often cheaper over their lifetimes than cheaper ones, but people may not have the up-front capital to buy them without some form of soft loan or revolving finance.</font></span></span>  
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== How long do the new cooking stoves last? ==
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">Is fuelwood a renewable energy source? </font></span>
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This depends on the quality of the stove, materials used, and the way people use them. Stoves will be well maintained if they are valued by the users and if they have been introduced appropriately. The lifetime of certain types of stoves can vary between six months and six years or more. Generally stoves should last at least for two years because they are otherwise broken before people have grown accustomed. They may then not be replaced by the user.
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span><span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">Fuelwood is a renewable energy source only if as much wood is harvested as is grown, or forests that have been cut are replanted. It is important, therefore, that in addition to energy saving, planting new tree stocks plays a role in the energy scenario.A further requirement is that the fuel burns very cleanly, as the polluting products, such as smoke particles and the volatiles given off by the wood, are responsible for much more global warming than the carbon dioxide created if the wood is completely (and thus cleanly) burnt.</font></span></span>
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More expensive stoves that last longer are often cheaper throughout their lifetimes than cheaper stoves, but people often do not have the necessary up-front capital available to buy the stoves without the availability of soft loan or revolving finance through banks or micro-finance institutes.
  
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">Could not solar cookers save the world? </font></span>
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== Is woodfuel a renewable energy source? ==
  
<span style="color: #000000"><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">Not on their own - but they are a useful addition. Even where the sun shines for many hours, they are only useful under some circumstances, where there is a wealth of positive experience about the use of solar cookers in certain regions of the world. The most successful use of solar cookers has been experienced in regions where there is lots of sunshine, the air clear, and where there are hardly any other alternatives. In these situations, where the style of cooking is well suited to solar, and where </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">there are no cultural restrictions, solar can be very effective</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>In other cultures, the traditional food cannot be cooked, people do not have a safe place outdoors to cook their food, the tradition may be for indoor cooking, they may want to cook at night, and they may have sufficient woodfuel. In these situations, the change in culture is too great for it to be a success.</span></font></span>
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Woodfuel is a renewable energy source only if the same amount of wood that was cut down is allowed to grow back. It is therefore important that tree-planting is integrated in a project intervention. If woodfuel is to be sustainable it should furthermore be ensured that it burns cleanly as its polluting products – such as smoke particles and volatiles emitted by the wood - are dependent on the combustion procedure of the wood.
  
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<font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">Isn’t the smoke in the huts needed to drive out the mosquitos? </span></font>
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== Could solar cookers not save the world? ==
  
<span style="color: #000000"><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">This is only marginally effective. For women and children it is much more important that they can protect themselves from the harmful health effects of indoor air pollution. This has </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">been widely studied. Smoke is responsible worldwide for nearly one million deaths annually of children under five years. There are better ways to deal with mosquitos. </span></font></span><font face="Arial"></font>
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Not on their own - but they are a useful addition. Even where the sun shines for many hours, they are only useful under some circumstances. The most successful use of solar cookers has been experienced in regions where there is lots of sunshine, the air clear, and where there are hardly any other alternatives. In these situations, where the style of cooking is well suited to solar, and where there are no cultural restrictions, solar can be very effective. In other cultures, the traditional food cannot be cooked, people do not have a safe place outdoors to cook their food, the tradition may be for indoor cooking, they may want to cook at night, and they may have sufficient woodfuel. In these situations, the change in culture is too great for it to be a success.
  
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">An improved stove emanates little light and warmth</font></span>
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== Isn’t the smoke in the huts needed to drive out the mosquitos? ==
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span><span style="color: #000000"><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">This is partly true and often has been a reason why efficient stoves were not immediately accepted. Only after the women have been convinced that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">are the stoves accepted and regularly used. Here are better ways to provide heat and light. Insulating houses is useful, and saves fuel. There are well-designed lamps that run on a variety of fuels. Where it is usually cold, some stoves that are made of metal give out a lot of heat – but they tend to use quite a lot of fuel, and give out heat even when it is not needed. Additional metal stoves just for heating are used in some regions.</span></font></span>
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There is no scientific evidence that smoke in the huts really drives out mosquitos. However, if people are convinced that smoke helps to reduce unwanted insects and other pests they can still use an improved stove to smoke the kitchen area once a day. During this time they should leave the kitchen to protect themselves from [[Indoor Air Pollution (IAP)|indoor air pollution]]. There is no need to produce smoke during cooking when people have to be present in the kitchen.
  
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span>
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== An improved stove emanates little light and warmth ==
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span>
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This is partly true and often has been a reason why efficient stoves were not immediately accepted. Only after the women have been convinced that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, stoves will be accepted and regularly used. Here are better ways to provide heat and light. Insulating houses is useful, and saves fuel. There are well-designed lamps that run on a variety of fuels. Where it is usually cold, some stoves that are made of metal give out a lot of heat – but they tend to use quite a lot of fuel, and give out heat even when it is not needed. Additional metal stoves just for heating are used in some regions.
  
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">The three-stone-fire cannot be beaten</font></span>
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== The three-stone-fire cannot be beaten ==
  
<span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">A well-tended 3-stone-fire has indeed a number of advantages: It gives warmth and light and provides a sense of comfort. It fits all pot sizes and the heat from the fire can quickly be increased or reduced, the wood does not have to be cut into small pieces – thus it requires less work input. Because the 3-stone fire is traditionally the heart of the household it is often culturally revered. All these advantages affect the degree of acceptance, and people need to have the choice. An improved stove has to have these qualities, it should be cleaner, use less fuel, save money, be safer for the children, and meet other requirements determined by each community. To measure levels of acceptance, one can monitor whether a household still uses an existing 3-stone-fire or uses the newly installed improved stove. </font></span></span>
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A well-tended 3-stone-fire has indeed a number of advantages: It gives warmth and light and provides a sense of comfort. It fits all pot sizes and the heat from the fire can quickly be increased or reduced, the wood does not have to be cut into small pieces – thus it requires less work input. Because the 3-stone fire is traditionally the heart of the household it is often culturally revered. All these advantages affect the degree of acceptance of better stoves. An improved stove has to have these qualities, but in addition it should be cleaner, use less fuel, save money, be safer for the children, and meet other requirements determined by each community.
  
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== Aren’t there more important issues than stoves? ==
  
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This depends on the context. For example, dealing with a famine, drought, or pandemic is more important than introducing improved cooking stoves. However, household energy is a central aspect of life, with a direct influence on the well-being of human beings and, as such, on the development of society as a whole. It has been shown that a moderate improvement in this area can have widespread impacts. These often benefit women, who tend to be in a disadvantaged position within the family.
  
<span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial"></font></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">Aren’t there more important issues than stoves?</font></span>
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In the end, it is the people who have the right to decide what is important to them. If they realise the serious health risks of smoke, and the options available that will allow them more spare time, save money, and reduce their negative health impact they may wish to make cooking stoves a priority.
  
<span style="color: #000000"><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">This can be partially </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">true for example, when dealing with a famine, a drought, or a pandemic, which would take priority over improved cooking stoves. Generally speaking, household energy is a central area of life, with a direct influence on the well-being of human beings and, as such, on the development of society. It has been shown that with only moderate input, widespread impacts that especially benefit women, and thus the whole family, are achieved. People have the right to decide what is important for them. If they realise the serious health risks of smoke, and the options available that will give them more time, money, and improved health, they may wish to make cooking stoves more of a priority.</span></font></span>  
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">Does it make sense to continue supporting wood stoves instead of changing to gas and other modern energies? </font></span>
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== Does it make sense to support wood stoves instead of changing to gas and other modern energies? ==
  
<span style="color: #000000"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"><font face="Arial">In developing countries, the number of people using biomass is around 2.5 billion. Although most people would prefer to change to so called ’modern’ energies like gas or electricity, they cannot afford to do so, either because they currently gather fuel ‘for free’, or because the stove is too expensive. In some places, particularly rural districts, ‘modern’ fuels may not be available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Only those on higher incomes can afford them, even where clean fuels are subsidised.</font></span></span>
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Globally, the number of people relying on biomass for cooking is around 2.6 billion. Although most people would prefer to change to so called ’modern’ energies like gas or electricity, they often cannot afford to do so, either because they currently gather fuel free of charge or because the stove is too expensive. Furthermore, ‘modern’ fuels are often not available, particularly in rural areas.
  
<span style="color: #000000"><font face="Arial"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb">The number of people worldwide using biomass is expected to rise until 2030, with a growing low-income population still dependent on wood, charcoal and other biomass fuels for cooking, baking, heating and small enterprise. More recent calculations have shown that if, by 2015 (the date set for the accomplishment of the Millennium Development Goals) half the world population </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt">was</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: arial; mso-ansi-language: en-gb"> to have access to modern fuels (including energy-efficient stoves), every day 100 000 new families would have to be supplied with them. </span></font></span><font face="Arial"></font>
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Worldwide, the number of people using biomass is not expected to fall until 2030. In particular the growing low-income population will remain dependent on wood, charcoal and other biomass fuels for cooking, baking or heating in the years to come. Calculations have shown that if half the world population was to have access to modern fuels by 2015, 200,000 new families would have to be supplied every day. Due to affordability, availability and mere scale of the issue, working with woody biomass is necessary for a realistic strategy that aims at improved cooking energy usage. Improved wood stoves offer a proven and successful technological improvement therein.
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= Further Information<br/> =
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*[[:File:FAQ-around-cookstoves-and-fuels GIZ HERA 2015.pdf|Efficient cookstoves & cooking energy for a healthier living. Frequently asked questions around cookstoves and fuels.]] Published by GIZ HERA, 2015
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= References<br/> =
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This article was originally published by [http://www.giz.de/fachexpertise/html/2769.html GIZ HERA]. It is basically based on experiences, lessons learned and information gathered by GIZ cook stove projects. You can find more information about the authors and experts of the original “Cooking Energy Compendium” in the [[Imprint - GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium|Imprint]].
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[[#Why_are_you_still_disseminating_the_same_old_stoves.3F|--> Top of the page]]<br/>[[GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium|--> Back to Overview GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium]]
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[[Category:Cooking_Energy_Compendium_(GIZ_HERA)]]

Latest revision as of 12:59, 30 April 2018

GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium small.png



Cooking Energy System | Basics | Policy Advice | Planning | Designing and Implementing ICS Supply | Designing and Implementing Woodfuel Supply | Climate Change | Extra


Why are you still disseminating the same old stoves?

The same old types of stoves are not being disseminated, at least in the majority of cases, even though they might look the same. Like most technologies, stoves are continously being improved. During the last twenty-five years, modern woodfuel stoves have been developed to match people’s needs, aspirations, and economic capacity. Although constrained to some extent by the need to use the same low-cost materials, new designs are making substantial inroads into solving many of the old problems such as indoor air pollution and low overall efficiency. Modern stoves reduce harmful emissions, improving the health of the family. Improved biomass stoves can save between 40% and 80% of fuel, which reduces the workload of women who need to collect fuel.

Clean renewable fuels (including ethanol and plant oils) are becoming available to many, and stoves to burn such fuels have been developed.

In the past the problem was often not the technology, but rather the access to it. Ways to provide access to all these technologies are now available. By working with communities rather than for them and addressing issues around capital cost, many of the lack of uptake problems are now in the past. Through these new stoves, technical skills are passed on and income is created. All this helps to improve the quality of everyday life.



Are improved stoves really saving that much?

That depends on various factors such as the quality of a stove in terms of its technical superiority and the materials used. Savings of 40% to 60% per stove per household are realistic, and for institutional stoves savings as high as 80% have been measured, when used correctly.

What is less well known is how often the stove is used, and whether it is being used correctly. This is why it is necessary to provide support to the consumer so that, with good sense, they will use it properly.

Economically speaking, it has been shown that savings are possible on both the household and country level. Savings are enabled by reductions in fuelwood use, time spent, ill-health, and carbon dioxide (CO2)emissions. At the same time, stove producers can earn an income higher than the one they recieved before producing stoves.


How can a whole country be reached?

An important activity is to promote the interest and buy-in of local and national decision makers. If decision makers are aware of the benefits, they are more likely to provide financial and strategic support. They can help upgrade a country’s technical and entrepreneurial skills. They may have resources to implement proven dissemination strategies to increase the manufacture and marketing of stoves at national level, leading to a sustainable stoves market over much of the country.

To reach large sectors of the population, a collaborative approach is needed. This needs to be financially well supported, and should incorporate local NGOs, the private sector, the government (creating a positive political climate), and expert professionals from national and international development organizations. At this point, a self-sustaining process can successfully be initiated.


Why not subsidize the stoves and supply whole countries and regions in one go?

There are indeed valid arguments in favour of subsidies to speed up dissemination – after all, almost all modern fuels were subsidized in the beginning – but there are also important arguments against it. Perhaps the most important one is that subsidies expire after a while and there is a danger that the whole system will break down. This has been experienced in several countries. Since we are concerned here with a continuous supply of improved stoves, it is important to develop sustainable market mechanisms. For this to happen, demand and supply should balance each other out. Initial subsidies are important, but they should be indirect and be provided primarily for promotion, training of producers, and certification or quality control, while the product (the stove), should be sold without direct subsidy.


If the stoves really are that beneficial, why do they not spread spontaneously?

When people have very little money – which is the case for the lower income groups in most developing countries – the scarce financial resources are used to satisfy other, more pressing needs, such as buying food, clothes, medicine or paying school fees. If people are unaware of the serious health risks, and of ways to purchase a stove using credit, the purchase of an improved stove is not a top priority.


Why is acceptance of energy efficient stoves a difficult barrier?

Introducing an energy-efficient stoves requires a behaviour change for communities who have been used to a three-stone fire. This adaptation takes time. Cooking is a very personal activity that, like a number of other domestic activities, is deeply embedded in the cultural behaviour of the individual user. Customs are only changed if the user perceives advantages of the new technology over a prolonged period of time.


Do modern stoves not destroy cultural traditions?

It is true that the use of new, energy-efficient stoves often means changing age-old cooking traditions. People will only get used to new habits if there are perceived benefits, for them and their children. However, people are ready to adapt established traditions to use the new technologies if the new products have been adapted to meet their needs, and if the advantages are convincing.


How long do the new cooking stoves last?

This depends on the quality of the stove, materials used, and the way people use them. Stoves will be well maintained if they are valued by the users and if they have been introduced appropriately. The lifetime of certain types of stoves can vary between six months and six years or more. Generally stoves should last at least for two years because they are otherwise broken before people have grown accustomed. They may then not be replaced by the user.

More expensive stoves that last longer are often cheaper throughout their lifetimes than cheaper stoves, but people often do not have the necessary up-front capital available to buy the stoves without the availability of soft loan or revolving finance through banks or micro-finance institutes.


Is woodfuel a renewable energy source?

Woodfuel is a renewable energy source only if the same amount of wood that was cut down is allowed to grow back. It is therefore important that tree-planting is integrated in a project intervention. If woodfuel is to be sustainable it should furthermore be ensured that it burns cleanly as its polluting products – such as smoke particles and volatiles emitted by the wood - are dependent on the combustion procedure of the wood.


Could solar cookers not save the world?

Not on their own - but they are a useful addition. Even where the sun shines for many hours, they are only useful under some circumstances. The most successful use of solar cookers has been experienced in regions where there is lots of sunshine, the air clear, and where there are hardly any other alternatives. In these situations, where the style of cooking is well suited to solar, and where there are no cultural restrictions, solar can be very effective. In other cultures, the traditional food cannot be cooked, people do not have a safe place outdoors to cook their food, the tradition may be for indoor cooking, they may want to cook at night, and they may have sufficient woodfuel. In these situations, the change in culture is too great for it to be a success.


Isn’t the smoke in the huts needed to drive out the mosquitos?

There is no scientific evidence that smoke in the huts really drives out mosquitos. However, if people are convinced that smoke helps to reduce unwanted insects and other pests they can still use an improved stove to smoke the kitchen area once a day. During this time they should leave the kitchen to protect themselves from indoor air pollution. There is no need to produce smoke during cooking when people have to be present in the kitchen.


An improved stove emanates little light and warmth

This is partly true and often has been a reason why efficient stoves were not immediately accepted. Only after the women have been convinced that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, stoves will be accepted and regularly used. Here are better ways to provide heat and light. Insulating houses is useful, and saves fuel. There are well-designed lamps that run on a variety of fuels. Where it is usually cold, some stoves that are made of metal give out a lot of heat – but they tend to use quite a lot of fuel, and give out heat even when it is not needed. Additional metal stoves just for heating are used in some regions.


The three-stone-fire cannot be beaten

A well-tended 3-stone-fire has indeed a number of advantages: It gives warmth and light and provides a sense of comfort. It fits all pot sizes and the heat from the fire can quickly be increased or reduced, the wood does not have to be cut into small pieces – thus it requires less work input. Because the 3-stone fire is traditionally the heart of the household it is often culturally revered. All these advantages affect the degree of acceptance of better stoves. An improved stove has to have these qualities, but in addition it should be cleaner, use less fuel, save money, be safer for the children, and meet other requirements determined by each community.


Aren’t there more important issues than stoves?

This depends on the context. For example, dealing with a famine, drought, or pandemic is more important than introducing improved cooking stoves. However, household energy is a central aspect of life, with a direct influence on the well-being of human beings and, as such, on the development of society as a whole. It has been shown that a moderate improvement in this area can have widespread impacts. These often benefit women, who tend to be in a disadvantaged position within the family.

In the end, it is the people who have the right to decide what is important to them. If they realise the serious health risks of smoke, and the options available that will allow them more spare time, save money, and reduce their negative health impact they may wish to make cooking stoves a priority.



Does it make sense to support wood stoves instead of changing to gas and other modern energies?

Globally, the number of people relying on biomass for cooking is around 2.6 billion. Although most people would prefer to change to so called ’modern’ energies like gas or electricity, they often cannot afford to do so, either because they currently gather fuel free of charge or because the stove is too expensive. Furthermore, ‘modern’ fuels are often not available, particularly in rural areas.

Worldwide, the number of people using biomass is not expected to fall until 2030. In particular the growing low-income population will remain dependent on wood, charcoal and other biomass fuels for cooking, baking or heating in the years to come. Calculations have shown that if half the world population was to have access to modern fuels by 2015, 200,000 new families would have to be supplied every day. Due to affordability, availability and mere scale of the issue, working with woody biomass is necessary for a realistic strategy that aims at improved cooking energy usage. Improved wood stoves offer a proven and successful technological improvement therein.



Further Information


References

This article was originally published by GIZ HERA. It is basically based on experiences, lessons learned and information gathered by GIZ cook stove projects. You can find more information about the authors and experts of the original “Cooking Energy Compendium” in the Imprint.



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