Abstract
Drawing on qualitative data from three contrasting sites in Benue state, Nigeria, this paper explores how and why cooking system use and priorities vary over time and space as well as the influence of household air pollution (HAP)-related health risks on fuel and stove choices. The findings indicated that cooking system choices were constrained by economic and access considerations linked to spatio-temporal variations in fuel cost, availability and service quality coupled with socio-cultural and utilitarian influences on cooking practices. Respondents demonstrated strong preferences for wood-fuelled traditional stoves although shifts in fuel use between wet and dry seasons were observed. Stove and fuel ‘stacking’ were widely practised to meet different cooking requirements and minimise risks from (often seasonal) variations in fuel prices, access and reliability of supply. ‘Backsliding’ from clean to solid biomass fuels was observed when families outgrew their improved cookstoves or considered biomass to be more affordable, reliable, accessible or safer. There was limited awareness or concern about HAP-related health risks and smoke was valued for preserving food and signalling food security. Attention is drawn to the value of integrating household risk perceptions into improved cookstove promotion and behaviour change initiatives to better understand constraints to the adoption and sustained use of clean cooking systems. The paper concludes by highlighting the benefits of monitoring household cooking system stacks (rather than the ‘main’ fuel/stove used) for analysing how their components vary over space and time and providing insights into the effectiveness of measures taken to reduce HAP exposure.
Highlights
Heart disease, childhood pneumonia, chronic respiratory diseases, cancers, burns and cataracts are all linked to the use of traditional cookstoves burning solid biomass fuels which are used by around 3 billion people globally [1]
The challenges of increasing demand for cleaner fuels and improved stoves among low income biomass-dependent groups are increasingly acknowledged [1,7,9,10,12,20,65]; especially in rural areas where zero-cost fuelwood is available and national energy policies overlook its importance as an energy source [38]
While findings from this study are drawn from three communities in Nigeria and can't be generalised to other regions or countries, they shed light on decisions underpinning cooking system choices that are likely to resonate with biomass-dependent groups in other parts of the world
Summary
Childhood pneumonia, chronic respiratory diseases, cancers, burns and cataracts are all linked to the use of traditional cookstoves burning solid biomass fuels which are used by around 3 billion people globally [1]. Women and children often suffer greater exposure as prevailing gender norms tend to give them greater responsibility for food preparation [1,4,5] In addition to these health impacts, the use of unsustainably harvested biomass fuel for cooking has been linked to forest degradation while soot from incomplete biomass combustion contributes to black carbon emissions and global warming [4,6]. In October 2018, GACC changed its name to the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA); acknowledging the importance of increasing access to ‘clean’ cooking systems (CCS), rather than just stoves, in order to address HAP-related health and environmental problems [9] This has been accompanied by emphasis on increasing investment in the clean cooking sector, developing programs to raise demand for CCS and improving the policy environment; strategies that mark a departure from more classic hardware-oriented-initiatives that have been criticised for failing to consider end-user priorities [9,10]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
