A new technical brief by the World Agroforestry Centre and Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) provides an overview of the use of traditional cooking methods and fuels in Kenya, and its impact on other areas of development.

Each year, more than 15,000 women and children in Kenya die as a result of indoor air pollution, mostly from smoky kitchens. The brief identifies challenges in implementing clean cooking technologies and proposes a holistic approached focused on 4 key elements: value chain; capacity building; policy improvements; and an effective communication strategy. It also advocates for active participation of both the public and private sectors.

Biomass fuels (including firewood and charcoal) account for 68 per cent of total energy consumption in Kenya and the sector provides an important source of income in both rural and urban area. However, unsustainable production is diminishing supplies of woody biomass. Cleaner cookstoves are one option to reduce fuel and emissions.

Download the technical brief: From Cleaner Cookstoves to Clean Cooking: Thinking beyond technology to a systems approach