The Improved Cooking Technology Program in Haiti began with a focus on addressing the negative impacts of charcoal consumption on the environment and household economies. Approximately 90 percent of Haitian household energy needs are met using firewood and charcoal, with charcoal being the primary source of energy in urban areas. Charcoal production has devastating environmental consequences, including mass deforestation, soil erosion, and destruction of natural watersheds. The black market charcoal trade is also a significant issue, with trees being cut in the Dominican Republic for charcoal, leading to violent clashes with Haitian charcoal producers.
Cooking with firewood and charcoal exposes women and young children to smoke or indoor air pollution, leading to health problems, especially respiratory illness. The World Health Organization estimates that exposure to indoor air pollution leads to nearly 3,000 premature deaths in Haiti each year. Despite these negative impacts, charcoal production and distribution is an important source of income in both rural and urban parts of Haiti.
Historically, urban households have consumed the greatest share of charcoal, but there has been a shift towards using cleaner liquid fuels such as kerosene or Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG). Rural populations, however, continue to depend on traditional open fires and/or inefficient biomass cookstoves. Street food vendors, known as marchanns manje kwits, are another significant consumer of charcoal, with approximately 12,000 vendors working in Port-au-Prince. These vendors provide an important source of food for the most food insecure households.
Previous efforts to introduce and scale up the use of more efficient biomass cookstoves have had limited success due to various barriers, including higher upfront cost, cultural resistance to changing technologies, underdeveloped supply and distribution chains, limited availability of raw materials, lack of quality control for stove production, and lack of awareness and education to encourage the adoption of new technology and sustain positive behavioral change. The socio-cultural barriers to change are significant, and addressing these will be crucial to the success of the Improved Cooking Technology Program.
The program aims to address these challenges by introducing and scaling up the use of more efficient biomass cookstoves, promoting cleaner liquid fuels, and improving access to energy for rural populations. The program will also focus on education and awareness-raising activities to encourage the adoption of new technology and sustain positive behavioral change. By addressing the negative impacts of charcoal consumption and promoting cleaner energy options, the Improved Cooking Technology Program has the potential to improve the health and well-being of Haitian households, while also contributing to the country’s economic development.
The program’s implementation will be guided by a results framework, which outlines the expected outcomes and indicators for success. The framework will be used to monitor progress and make adjustments as needed. The program will also engage with key stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and private sector partners, to ensure that the program is aligned with national priorities and is being implemented effectively.
In the first year of the program, several key activities were undertaken, including the development of a market analysis and a baseline data collection report. The market analysis identified opportunities for the program to promote cleaner liquid fuels and improve access to energy for rural populations. The baseline data collection report provided a snapshot of the current energy situation in Haiti, including the use of charcoal and other biomass fuels.
The program also established partnerships with key stakeholders, including the World Food Programme and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. These partnerships will be crucial to the program’s success, as they will provide access to resources and expertise that will be essential for implementing the program’s activities.
Overall, the Improved Cooking Technology Program has the potential to make a significant impact on the health and well-being of Haitian households, while also contributing to the country’s economic development. By addressing the negative impacts of charcoal consumption and promoting cleaner energy options, the program will help to improve the lives of millions of people in Haiti.