Page 4 - Selecting the Appropriate Improved Cooking Technology: What Matters?
P. 4
Policy Brief
THE CASE OF CORN COBS IN BIHAR adoption of an improved cookstove. Households with
higher incomes may readily switch to modern cooking
During the DFID-TERI project, TERI disseminated its low-cost forced draft cookstove fuels like LPG than lower income households. 12 However,
(SPF-0143) in select households of Madhubani district in Bihar. Owing to the low cost advanced and highly efficient biomass cookstoves, such as
of the improved cookstove, the rate of uptake of the technology by rural households gasifier stoves and forced-draft cookstoves are generally
was initially found to be high. However, it was seen that with time, households had expensive, costing upwards of Rs. 3,500—which is just a
almost stopped using the improved cookstove. An enquiry into the problem revealed little lower than the average monthly per capita income
that the primary cooking fuel in the project villages was dried corn cobs, which did in rural India.13 In course of the TERI-DFID cookstoves
not quite fit into the combustion chamber of SPF-0143. Subsequently, a larger-sized programme, TERI had designed and disseminated three
low-cost improved cookstove was designed for Bihar, the SPF-0414, which had models of forced-draft biomass cookstoves having different
combustion chamber dimensions optimized for the burning corn cobs. This stove prices—SPF-0143 (Rs. 800), SPF-0414 (Rs. 1,500), and
was well accepted and used by rural households. SPF-0610 (Rs. 3,500). An analysis of the household income
of hundred randomly selected users of each of cookstove
cookstove models that require households to make a model shows that the cheapest cookstove model was
drastic shift in their solid fuel usage pattern usually find purchased largely by households below the poverty line,
poor acceptance with rural households.11 Furthermore, it while the costliest cookstove model was purchased largely
is important that improved cookstoves must be designed by households above the poverty line (Figure 2).
to adapt fuels that are locally available and affordable by
rural consumers. There is anecdotal evidence of a coal- After-sales support
burning improved cookstove, specially designed by
TERI for dissemination in villages near a coal mine site in After-sales service, provided to improved cookstove
eastern India, where the acceptance for wood-burning buyers, is important for ensuring adoption of
stoves was found to be very low. technology.14 Improved cookstoves require regular
maintenance due to wear and tear occurring from use.
POLICY MESSAGE Similarly, faulty components of the cookstove must
be replaced in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Selection of improved biomass cooking technology must involve an assessment of : However, improved cookstove markets are nascent and
(a) locally available fuels; and (b) common fuel mix in households. Improved cooking disorganized, and entrepreneurs may find it unprofitable
technology that requires a minimal change in the existing fuel mix can encourage
adoption. Further, improved cookstove models that permit the use of multiple Per cent 9%
fuels are more readily accepted by rural households than those models that require 100
a specific fuel.
80 42%
Paying capacity
61%
Improved cookstoves programmes target low-income
households living in rural areas. Adoption of an improved 60 64%
cookstove involves an explicit cost of purchasing a stove
and the implicit cost of a behavioural shift to accommodate 40 46%
a new cooking technology. Both, the affordability of the 32%
improved cooking technology and the willingness of rural 20
households to pay, influence the purchase of an improved 12% 7%
cookstove. There are numerous studies that indicate 27%
that the income of a household is an important factor for SPF-0414 SPT-0610
0 BPL Antyodaya
SPF-0143
APL
Figure 2: Segmentation of buyers (100 each) of three improved cookstove models by
income category
11 Mukhopadhyay, Rupak, et al. 2012. “Cooking practices, air quality, and the acceptability 12 Farsi, Mehdi, Massimo Filippini, and Shonali Pachauri. 2007. “Fuel choices in urban Indian
of advanced cookstoves in Haryana, India: An exploratory study to inform large-scale households.” Environment and Development Economics 12.06: 757–774.
interventions.” Global health action 5.
13 Dholakia, Ravindra H, Manish B Pandya, and Payal M Pateria. 2014. “Estimating urban–rural
income differential in major states of India.” Journal of Income & Wealth (The) 36.2: 166–175.
14 Arora, Pooja, and Suresh Jain. “Estimation of organic and elemental carbon emitted from wood
burning in traditional and improved cookstoves using controlled cooking test.” Environmental
Science & Technology 49.6 (2015): 3958–3965.
MAY 2015 4
THE CASE OF CORN COBS IN BIHAR adoption of an improved cookstove. Households with
higher incomes may readily switch to modern cooking
During the DFID-TERI project, TERI disseminated its low-cost forced draft cookstove fuels like LPG than lower income households. 12 However,
(SPF-0143) in select households of Madhubani district in Bihar. Owing to the low cost advanced and highly efficient biomass cookstoves, such as
of the improved cookstove, the rate of uptake of the technology by rural households gasifier stoves and forced-draft cookstoves are generally
was initially found to be high. However, it was seen that with time, households had expensive, costing upwards of Rs. 3,500—which is just a
almost stopped using the improved cookstove. An enquiry into the problem revealed little lower than the average monthly per capita income
that the primary cooking fuel in the project villages was dried corn cobs, which did in rural India.13 In course of the TERI-DFID cookstoves
not quite fit into the combustion chamber of SPF-0143. Subsequently, a larger-sized programme, TERI had designed and disseminated three
low-cost improved cookstove was designed for Bihar, the SPF-0414, which had models of forced-draft biomass cookstoves having different
combustion chamber dimensions optimized for the burning corn cobs. This stove prices—SPF-0143 (Rs. 800), SPF-0414 (Rs. 1,500), and
was well accepted and used by rural households. SPF-0610 (Rs. 3,500). An analysis of the household income
of hundred randomly selected users of each of cookstove
cookstove models that require households to make a model shows that the cheapest cookstove model was
drastic shift in their solid fuel usage pattern usually find purchased largely by households below the poverty line,
poor acceptance with rural households.11 Furthermore, it while the costliest cookstove model was purchased largely
is important that improved cookstoves must be designed by households above the poverty line (Figure 2).
to adapt fuels that are locally available and affordable by
rural consumers. There is anecdotal evidence of a coal- After-sales support
burning improved cookstove, specially designed by
TERI for dissemination in villages near a coal mine site in After-sales service, provided to improved cookstove
eastern India, where the acceptance for wood-burning buyers, is important for ensuring adoption of
stoves was found to be very low. technology.14 Improved cookstoves require regular
maintenance due to wear and tear occurring from use.
POLICY MESSAGE Similarly, faulty components of the cookstove must
be replaced in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Selection of improved biomass cooking technology must involve an assessment of : However, improved cookstove markets are nascent and
(a) locally available fuels; and (b) common fuel mix in households. Improved cooking disorganized, and entrepreneurs may find it unprofitable
technology that requires a minimal change in the existing fuel mix can encourage
adoption. Further, improved cookstove models that permit the use of multiple Per cent 9%
fuels are more readily accepted by rural households than those models that require 100
a specific fuel.
80 42%
Paying capacity
61%
Improved cookstoves programmes target low-income
households living in rural areas. Adoption of an improved 60 64%
cookstove involves an explicit cost of purchasing a stove
and the implicit cost of a behavioural shift to accommodate 40 46%
a new cooking technology. Both, the affordability of the 32%
improved cooking technology and the willingness of rural 20
households to pay, influence the purchase of an improved 12% 7%
cookstove. There are numerous studies that indicate 27%
that the income of a household is an important factor for SPF-0414 SPT-0610
0 BPL Antyodaya
SPF-0143
APL
Figure 2: Segmentation of buyers (100 each) of three improved cookstove models by
income category
11 Mukhopadhyay, Rupak, et al. 2012. “Cooking practices, air quality, and the acceptability 12 Farsi, Mehdi, Massimo Filippini, and Shonali Pachauri. 2007. “Fuel choices in urban Indian
of advanced cookstoves in Haryana, India: An exploratory study to inform large-scale households.” Environment and Development Economics 12.06: 757–774.
interventions.” Global health action 5.
13 Dholakia, Ravindra H, Manish B Pandya, and Payal M Pateria. 2014. “Estimating urban–rural
income differential in major states of India.” Journal of Income & Wealth (The) 36.2: 166–175.
14 Arora, Pooja, and Suresh Jain. “Estimation of organic and elemental carbon emitted from wood
burning in traditional and improved cookstoves using controlled cooking test.” Environmental
Science & Technology 49.6 (2015): 3958–3965.
MAY 2015 4
