Abstract
In Tanzania, a majority of rural residents cook using firewood-based three-stone-fire stoves. In this study, quantitative performance differences between technologically advanced improved cooking stoves and three-stone-fire stoves are analysed.We test the performance of improved cooking stoves and three-stone-fire stoves using local cooks, foods, and fuels, in the semi-arid region of Dodoma in Tanzania. We used the cooking protocol of the Controlled Cooking Test following a two-pot test design. The findings of the study suggest that improved cooking stoves use less firewood and less time than three-stone-fire stoves to conduct a predefined cooking task.In total, 40 households were assessed and ask to complete two different cooking tasks: (1) a fast cooking meal (rice and vegetables) and (2) a slow cooking meal (beans and rice). For cooking task 1, the results show a significant reduction in firewood consumption of 37.1% by improved cooking stoves compared to traditional three-stone-fire stoves; for cooking task 2 a reduction of 15.6% is found. In addition, it was found that the time needed to conduct cooking tasks 1 and 2 was significantly reduced by 26.8% and 22.8% respectively, when improved cooking stoves were used instead of three-stone-fire-stoves.We observed that the villagers altered the initial improved cooking stove design, resulting in the so-called modified improved cooking stove. In an additional Controlled Cooking Test, we conducted cooking task 3: a very fast cooking meal (maize flour and vegetables) within 32 households. Significant changes between the initial and modified improved cooking stoves regarding firewood and time consumption were not detected.However, analyses show that both firewood and time consumption during cooking was reduced when large amounts (for 6–7 household members) of food were prepared instead of small amounts (for 2–3 household members).
Highlights
The importance of forests and woodlands for human life is manifold
For cooking task 1, the results show a significant reduction in firewood consumption of 37.1% by improved cooking stoves compared to traditional three-stone-fire stoves; for cooking task 2 a reduction of 15.6% is found
Firewood and time consumption Following the Controlled Cooking Test (CCT) test in January and February 2016, the firewood and time consumption per meal and cooking device was analysed in order to identify the total
Summary
The importance of forests and woodlands for human life is manifold. Forests are crucial for livelihoods, providing direct benefits like firewood, charcoal, timber, animal and human food, and medical services, among others (Chhatre and Agrawal 2008, Campbell et al 1996). Forests are important for regulating the climate, mitigating the negative effects of climate change, conserving soil and water sources, as well as providing living space for numerous animals and plants (Moffat 1997). Around 2.7 billion people, of which approximately 90% live in developing countries (Urmee and Gyamfi 2014), still depend on traditional biomass energy, such as firewood, charcoal, crop residues, and dung, for both cooking and heating (Raman et al 2013) and will do so in the future (Kees and Feldmann 2011, Iiyama et al 2014); similar numbers are reported by Shrimali et al 2011 (2.5 billion), Bailis et al 2015 (2.8 billion), and Jagger and Shively 2014 (3.0 billion). Overexploitation of forest resources leads to forest degradation with multiple negative effects for human livelihoods. Even if forest degradation continues only at a rate of 1% annually, the remaining forested areas will be depleted by 2100 (Msuya et al 2011)
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