Adoption of LPG for cooking in two rural communities of Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

In 2011, a government initiative provided Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) stoves and cylinders to almost 1000 rural families in Chiapas, Mexico. In 2017, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) conducted an evaluation of cooking practices among the beneficiaries of these stoves.Although almost 100% of households continue to use firewood for cooking, they cook an average of 58% of their food with LPG. Of the families that used to rely exclusively on firewood before 2011, 32% have now started to use LPG. Primary cooks —almost entirely women— recognize the advantages of cooking with LPG and the health Problems associated with firewood use, with the primary barrier to using LPG being its high cost. Women spend 35–65 h a month preparing tortillas —the main food cooked with firewood. The alternative store-bought tortillas are up to three times costlier.When given the opportunity to cook with LPG, families recognize its advantages and are incentivized to continue using it, despite its cost. The higher the socioeconomic status, the higher LPG use is. The authors suggest that subsidizing tortilla production could facilitate the exclusive use of LPG, avoiding the negative health impacts of firewood use and saving more than 25% of women's productive time.