FoodandFuel Consultants

Mission

Link food and fuel issues to the improvement of health, where a great threat is air pollution caused by inefficient woodfires, inadequate technologies and techniques as well as poor ventilation. My mission is to assist interested partners in developing suitable solutions for complex problem situations. This can range from interventions on food preparation, household energy choices for fuel and technology , firewood and kitchen management techniques to simple ventilation changes and others. There is as well a linkage to sanitation by creating more opportunities to boil water with the same amount of fuel by applying more fuel-efficient technologies and practices. I am currently involved with research and PR-work on the potential of microgasifiers as cookstoves, to create awarenes and assist in a wider promotion of these clean-burning technologies.

Organization Type Independent Consultant

Contact Information

This information has been removed as it is likely no longer accurate

Primary Initiatives, Target Populations, and Scope of Work:

Design cookstove interventions as Corporate Social Responsibility interventions with major players in Malawi and elsewhere for institutional catering, staff houses and communities with the aim to reduce fuel consumption and indoor air pollution. Advice for development partners working with rural low-income communities countrywide in Malawi to mainstream household energy, nutrition and health issues within their programmes. Field trials with various organisations and agro-industry companies in Malawi on 'Food-and-Fuel' plants like Pigeon Peas for data collection and knowledge-creation to generate more case studies for their successful promotion. Theme leader 'interventions' for the BREATHE Africa Consortium looking for funding to implement pilot project in Malawi and adaptive research on micro-gasifier cookstoves.

Fuels/Technologies: Biomass
Biomass gasifier stoves
Sectors of Experience: Agriculture
Behavior Change
Energy
Environment
Health
Renewable Energy
Rural Development
Small Business
Interdepence of Food and Fuel Issues - Synergies and Competition
Countries of Operation: Malawi
Bangladesh
Germany

Our Experience And Interest In The Four PCIA Central Focus Areas

Social/Cultural barriers to using traditional fuels and stoves:

Reduce emissions by reduction of fuel consumption through biomass energy technologies (stoves) that are more efficient and/or can use alternative biomass fuel sources other than timber-derived firewood or charcoal.
Address air pollution through reduction of emissions at source through cleaner-burning biomass stoves and techniques, especially micro-gasifiers.
Reduce indoor air pollution through better ventilation of kitchens and cooking spaces.
Link health issues to air pollution, nutrition and water&sanitation.


Market development for improved cooking technologies:

Assisting a Malawi-based organisation on technology adaptation to improve market development of stabilised-soil brick rocket stoves for institutions and households. Actively involved in research and prototype and market development for low-cost all-metal charcoal stoves with lower fuel use and less CO-emissions. Trying to develop culturally acceptable gasifier cookstoves to find a market in Malawi and other African countries.


Technology standardization for cooking, heating and ventilation:

Experience with standardization through certification and quality control for institutional rocket stoves in Malawi.


Indoor air pollution exposure and health monitoring:

Started monitoring air pollution in household and institutional kitchens in Malawi via a DustTrak to aim at a quantification of the efficiency of various interventions: how much can air pollution levels be reduced by a better stove, better ventilation and better firewood management and cooking practices? How can recommendations on possible interventions to reduce IAP be deducted from the results?

Relevant Publications or Studies

http://www.bioenergylists.org/content/charcoal-stove-design
Report on combined heat and biochar camp included in newsletter http://www.biochar-international.org/sites/default/files/August_2010_New...
http://www.biochar-international.org/ethos/2010

Our Contribution to the Partnership

Develop recommendations on interventions to reduce IAP, based on results from various interventions currently under way in Malawi for insitutions as well as households. Share information on dissemination concepts in rural ad urban environments with whomever is interested.
Participatory research and development of clean-burning micro-gasifier cookstoves.