How Many Trees Does it Take to Cook a Pot of Rice? Fuelwood and Tree Consumption in Four Philipine Communities

Abstract

The cutting of trees for fuelwood is one of many human activities contributing to deforestation in developing nations. This paper examines the extent to which fuelwood consumption contributes to deforestation in terms of the amount of fuelwood consumed, local preferences for tree species, and number of trees consumed as fuelwood in four rural Philippines communities. The research findings are placed within the context of a cooperative five year research and development project between the academic community, government, and industry.