Wood cookstoves in Fiji

Abstract

In almost all rural areas of the Pacific Island Nations cooking is predominantly accomplished using wood fires. Many attempts have been made by aid agencies and benevolent organizations to introduce improved woodstoves. The main reasons were to conserve wood fuel and to provide a healthier environment in the kitchen area. The present paper details a study of eight rural villages in Fiji to investigate cooking habits and wood stove cooking experience. The results suggest that in actual practice stoves are not more efficient than open fires and that the management of the fireplace is the key to overall fuel efficiency. More emphasis should be placed on providing more accessible fuel by concentrating on fuelwood lots close to the villages and to looking at the kitchen environment as an integrated whole and not just focussing on the cooking stove.