Women and charcoal value chains
of Eastern and Southern Africa
Phosiso Sola and Davison Gumbo
IUFRO 2014 World Congress, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
5-11 October 2014
Source: WHO, 2012
% Population using solid fuel in 2010
Biomass fuels meet over 80% of Sub Saharan Africa energy demand
Only about 30 % of the population have access to electricity
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
Central Africa East Africa North Africa Southern Africa West Africa
Wo
od
fu
el C
on
su
mp
tio
n 1
00
0m
3
African Region
Most in the form of charcoal, for cooking and heating
Produced in rural areas consumed in urban areas
The study- a critical review
Literatures: With all the challenges the industry is lucrative to
both men and women
QUE: How women participate, benefit and are affected
throughout the charcoal value chains of eastern and southern
African?
Wood production
Charcoal production
Transportation Wholesaling Retailing
Consumption
Adapted from Sepp, 2008
The study- a critical review
Review literature on charcoal production and trade in
Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia
Article
focus
Wood fuel Production
and policy
Trade Consumption Value
chains
Trade/value
chains and
gender
Number of
articles
(89)
36 75 36 31 18 9
% 41 85 41 35 20 10
Charcoal Industry in eastern and southern
African Industry largely informal, unregulated
Deemed illegal, no recognition, practically
neglected
Energy policies believe in energy ladder
BUT persistent poverty renders transition
a fallacy
YET industry remains very efficient in
meeting urban and local demand
Demand levels
Majority of urban households
All income categories but mostly the urban poor
Small-scale industries can account for up to 31% of urban demand
(case of Tanzania)
Urban Demand
Kenya 82% (2013)
Rwanda 72% (2010)
Mozambique 70-80% (2007)
Tanzania Dar es Salaam 78% (2007)
Demand levels Kenya 2005 to 2013 production increased from 1.6 to 2.5 mil ton
Uganda Gov estimates demand increasing at rate of 6% /yr
Country Annual figures Data year
Production (Million ton)
Kenya 2.5 2013
Uganda 1 2011
Rwanda 0.2 2008
Consumption (Million ton)
Zambia 1.248 2010
Mozambique 14.8 2008
Malawi (consumption for the
4 major cities 90% country)
6.08 2007
Tanzania (Dar es Salaam
50% of country)
1.6 2007
Significance of the Industry
Sector competitive with some agriculture sectors like tea, coffee, and
tobacco
Illegal trade leads to significant losses in revenue
Kenya Mozambique Malawi Tanzania Rwanda
Income
Per yr
USD mil
1,600
394 41
(Main cities)
350
(Dar es Salaam)
67
% GDP 2.2 3 2.3 2.7
Data
Year
2013 2011 2007 2007 2007
The charcoal industry in ESA
Studies indicate that substantial volumes of charcoal crossing borders
43% charcoal production from border districts Zambia
Takes 1-6 actors to deliver the charcoal to final consumers
Charcoal industry Actors
Country Wood
production
Producer Transporter Wholesaler Retailer Total Data
year
Kenya 254,000 4900 635,000 893,900 2013
Mozambique 27,169 1,132 5,822 101,885 214,000 2012
Rwanda 300, 000 8,000 200-300 2000 310,300 2010
Malawi 10,550 122,490 133,040 2008
6400 46,500 12,800 33,500
92,800 2007
Informal and or illegal thus accurate statistics difficult to get
The bulk, of the product is produced and traded without licensing
Charcoal industry Actors
Country Wood
producers %
Producers
%
Transporters
%
Wholesalers
%
Retailers
%
Data
year
Kenya 28.4 0.6 71 2013
Mozambique 12.7 0.5 2.7 47.6 2012
Rwanda 96.7 2.6 0.1 0.6 2010
Malawi 6.5 46.8 12.9 33.8
2008
Tanzania 43.2 0.1 56 2002
Zambia 47.5 0.9 51.3 2002
retailers/vendors > producers > wholesalers > transporters traders
Role of women?
Tend to dominate the wood production, charcoal production and
retailing stages
But remain in the small scale businesses
Limited to no access and rights over key resources (land, trees,
financial capital, and credit)
Country Producers
%
Transporters
%
Wholesalers
%
Retailers
%
Data
Year
Kenya 17 10-14 57 2005
Tanzania 24 0 20 16 2012
Uganda 4 6 (Agent 22) 19 69 2008
Mozambique 24 2 55 90 2004
Production
energyaccess.wikispaces.com
www.itswild.org
Both men and women
produce charcoal
But roles somewhat
predefined
Iiyama, Miyuki (ICRAF)
Transportation Men the majority of transporters up to 90%
Women rarely reach 20%
Mostly cyclists, 90% of transporters for 10%
volume into Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
www.animaltraction.com
Most women do not own vehicles
have to hire
Business is done mostly at night –
evade the law
baraza.wildlifedirect.org
Transportation
www.globalgiving.org
Risky: poor roads, poor state of the
vehicles, long distances, illicit
behaviour and illegality
Buy, store and sell in bulk offering prices 10 to 20% lower than the retail
price
Dominated by women but still the few men dominate large scale
Limited access to capital –bulk purchase, storage
Wholesaling
Iiyama, Miyuki (ICRAF)
Retailing Sell in bags, small cans or piles
Face stiff competition from sheer numbers
Thus sell other products besides charcoal
www.seattleglobalist.com felixfeatures.photoshelter.com
Income and income distribution Inequitable and skewed towards the middle players in transportation and
trade/wholesaling
Tightly neat in dealer-transporter-wholesaler networks/curtails highly
connected
% share final
price
Wood
production
Producer Transporter Wholesaler Retailer Data
year
Kenya 6 66 28 2013
Rwanda 16.9 42.2 32.8 8.1 2010
Tanzania 33 50 17 2009
Malawi 20-33 20 -25 25-33 2007
Uganda
• Benefits concentrated in the middle where women form 6 % transporter
or 22% of agents
• Less benefits at tail ends, women 69% retailers
Value chain actor Average monthly profits (USD)
Producer 35.53
Agent 93.97
Transporter 646.58
Trader 579.21
Retailer 68.04
Source: Shively, et al., 2010
Recommendations
Enabling policy framework
- Formalise, Legalise, Operationalise
Evidence to inform development and policies
- In-depth research with standardized comparable methodology for gendered
value chain analysis across countries
Technology research, development and dissemination
- Wood production, carbonisation, cooking
Improve access to resources by women
- Land and trees, Finance, Business premises
Main sources 1. Blodgett, C., 2011. Charcoal Value Chain and Improved Cook stove Sector Analyses SNV Rwanda positioning document
2. Delahunty-Pike A., 2012. Gender Equity, Charcoal and the Value Chain in Western Kenya Working Brief November 2012 PISCES,
Practical Action Consulting
3. Gumbo, D. J., et. al., 2013. Dynamics of the charcoal and indigenous timber trade in Zambia: A scoping study in Eastern, Northern and
Northwestern provinces. Occasional Paper 86. CIFOR, Bogor, Indonesia
4. Kambewa, P., et. Al., 2007. Charcoal: the reality – A study of charcoal consumption, trade and production in Malawi. Small and Medium
Forestry Enterprise Series No. 21. International Institute for Environment and Development, London, UK.
5. Kenya Forest Service (Kfs), 2013. Analysis of the Charcoal Value Chain in Kenya, Final Report, August 2013 Ministry Of Environment,
Water And Natural Resources, Government of Kenya
6. Kwaschik R., (ed) 2008. Proceedings of the Conference on Charcoal and Communities in Africa 16 – 18 June, 2008 Maputo, Mozambique,
Coordinator, Global Non-timber Forest Products (NTFP) Partnership, International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR)
7. Malimbwi, R.E., and Zahabu, E.M., 2008. Research and development for sustainable management of semiarid miombo woodlands in East
Africa Woodlands and the charcoal trade: the case of Dar es Salaam City Working Papers of the Finnish Forest Research Institute 98: 93–
114 http://www.metla.fi/julkaisut/workingpapers/2008/mwp098.htm
8. Ndegwa Geoffrey M. et al., 2010. Woodfuel Value Chains in Kenya and Rwanda; Economic analysis of the market oriented woodfuel
sector. Master Thesis Cologne University of Applied Sciences Institute for Technology and Resources Management in the Tropics and
Subtropics (ITT)
9. Shively, G., et al., 2010. Profits and margins along Uganda’s charcoal value chain International Forest Review Vol 12 (3) 2010
10. van Beukering, P., et al., undated. Optimization of the charcoal chain in Tanzania Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), Vrije
Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
I thank you
www.cifor.org www.blog.cifor.org
Other photos from Iiyama, Miyuki (ICRAF) and http://www.olliviergirard.com/Gallery_Zambia/index.html