Charcoal: the reality. A study of charcoal consumption, trade and production in Malawi

Dec 2007

Natural resource management experts, government and its development partners have debated the charcoal trade for some time, but until now, there has been little solid evidence on the scale and scope of the subject. Lacking information on the true value of the charcoal industry, policy makers have had little choice but to develop policies based on impressions rather than facts. Since charcoal has very high potential to be a renewable resource, this study is intended to stimulate and encourage an informed charcoal debate, based on a quantified picture of the industry as a whole.
The study aimed to do the following:
- Determine the scale and economic value of the charcoal industry in Malawi;
- Identify the driving forces behind charcoal production, understand the key players and thevalue chain, and find out where and how charcoal is produced, marketed and consumed;
and
- Provide a sound basis for policy development that reduces the negative impacts of the industry while encouraging the positive attributes.
The purpose of this document is to report on results of a comprehensive study of charcoal in Malawi, consisting of three components:
 - a statistically robust household consumption survey to quantify the volume and values of use in main urban centres, stratified by socioeconomic status and population density within these centres;
- a detailed description of the charcoal value chain, including retail and wholesale vendors, traders and transporters, financiers and producers, and the value addition accruing to each link (including value accruing to rent seekers involved in the trade); and
- a detailed description of the current locations, species, methods, and volumes of production.

By: P. Kambewa, B. Mataya, K. Sichinga, T. Johnson

 
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