Page 3 - Discussion Paper: Mainstreaming Gender in Improved Cookstove Value Chains
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Discussion Paper
improved cookstoves1 designed by TERI, progressively a NGO that TERI had partnered with for dissemination
improvised on by SHG members to suit locally available of ICS. ASHC has been primarily engaged in agriculture-
raw materials. Initially, Shramik Bharti promoted the stoves related enterprises supported by the National Bank for
among selected village communities, an activity that was Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). ASHC is
later on taken up by the SHGs themselves. A portion of the involved in the business model as a distributor, entrepreneur,
earnings from manufacture and sale of ICS was earmarked and service provider of advanced gasifier stoves2 developed
for offering micro-loans to interested buyers who could not by TERI. The cooperative caters to its own members
afford to purchase the stove at its full price. Shramik Bharti numbering around 1,500 as its potential market. ASHC
helped the SHGs avail of a bank loan to infuse capital in their is involved in awareness generation, generating demand,
ICS business and increase the corpus of funds available of procurement and sale of cookstoves, and after-sales service.
inter-loaning. TERI absorbs some of their operational costs Dulal, ASHC’s parent NGO supports the cooperative
through a special ‘viability gap funding’. Shramik Bharti and through regular training on technical and business-related
TERI collaboratively trained the groups to manufacture ICS, aspects. TERI offers technical support to Dulal and provides
to maintain financial accounts, and market their products. 10 per cent of the product cost as a ‘sales-incentive’ to
In course of time, with technical inputs from TERI, SHGs ASHC per ICS sold. The cooperative’s market is focused
integrated an LED light point with the ICS, resulting in a in Jashipur block of Mayurbhanj district.
product that addresses both lighting and cooking energy
needs of rural households. Discussion
Case 2 - Karnavati Crop Producer Company, Adopting a ‘value-chain approach’ for analysing the above
Panna (Madhya Pradesh): Karnavati Crop Producer case studies helps in identifying the key stakeholders, their
Company was formed by the DPIP (District Poverty independent roles despite their interconnectedness, and
Initiatives Programme, Government of Madhya Pradesh) the external support received at each segment of the value
as a company owned and managed collectively by 3,000 chain (Mackie and Mayoux 2007). A typical ‘gendered’ ICS
crop producers (farmers) in Panna district. It partnered value chain is depicted in Figure 2.
with TERI, as part of TERI’s long-standing partnership with
DPIP, to manufacture and disseminate cookstoves through In the three cases described in the preceding section,
VDCs—Village Development Committees (analogous to many roles in the value chain are played by women groups
women Self-Help Group Federations) formed by DPIP. The or entrepreneurs. However, these roles are not played
tasks of procuring raw material, manufacturing, packaging, by them independently, or without external support. The
and marketing cookstoves are divided among four VDCs first type of dependence shown by women stakeholders
engaged by the Producer Company. The model of ICS is on other stakeholders of the value chain. This can be
promoted in Panna is the low-cost improved cookstove attributed to value chains being characterized by inherent
developed by TERI. VDCs offer loans to ICS buyers interconnectedness of its various segments. The second
through a grant provided to VDCs by DPIP. They meet type of dependence shown by them is on TERI and its
their operational costs through interest received from partner organization(s), for various kinds of support.
borrowers. The Producer Company controls the finance Various elements of this support have been determined
of the ICS business and manages the entire supply chain. collaboratively by TERI, its partner organization(s), and
TERI and the Producer Company collaboratively train the women stakeholders, based on contextual needs and
VDCs to perform various tasks, specific to its segment in priorities of the TERI-DFID programme. Furthermore,
the value chain. Furthermore, as in the previous case, TERI this support has been dynamic, allowing adjustments
provides viability gap funding to the Producer Company to and refinements; with an exit strategy for TERI and its
reduce the cost of production of the ICS. partners transparently charted out. The raison d’être
of this support has been triple—(a) to create a business
Case 3 - Amrapalli Self Help Cooperative, ecosystem that promotes the realization of individual
Mayurbhanj (Odisha): Amrapalli Self Help Cooperative stakeholder expectations, finally driving high adoption of
(ASHC) is a cooperative organization of women farmers ICS among rural households, (b) to encourage participation
in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. It is supported by Dulal,
2 SPT-0610, a stainless steel top loading forced-draft gasifier ICS,
1 SPF-0143, single-port front loading forced-draft ICS, approved by the approved by MNRE.
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India.
JUNE 2015 3
improved cookstoves1 designed by TERI, progressively a NGO that TERI had partnered with for dissemination
improvised on by SHG members to suit locally available of ICS. ASHC has been primarily engaged in agriculture-
raw materials. Initially, Shramik Bharti promoted the stoves related enterprises supported by the National Bank for
among selected village communities, an activity that was Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). ASHC is
later on taken up by the SHGs themselves. A portion of the involved in the business model as a distributor, entrepreneur,
earnings from manufacture and sale of ICS was earmarked and service provider of advanced gasifier stoves2 developed
for offering micro-loans to interested buyers who could not by TERI. The cooperative caters to its own members
afford to purchase the stove at its full price. Shramik Bharti numbering around 1,500 as its potential market. ASHC
helped the SHGs avail of a bank loan to infuse capital in their is involved in awareness generation, generating demand,
ICS business and increase the corpus of funds available of procurement and sale of cookstoves, and after-sales service.
inter-loaning. TERI absorbs some of their operational costs Dulal, ASHC’s parent NGO supports the cooperative
through a special ‘viability gap funding’. Shramik Bharti and through regular training on technical and business-related
TERI collaboratively trained the groups to manufacture ICS, aspects. TERI offers technical support to Dulal and provides
to maintain financial accounts, and market their products. 10 per cent of the product cost as a ‘sales-incentive’ to
In course of time, with technical inputs from TERI, SHGs ASHC per ICS sold. The cooperative’s market is focused
integrated an LED light point with the ICS, resulting in a in Jashipur block of Mayurbhanj district.
product that addresses both lighting and cooking energy
needs of rural households. Discussion
Case 2 - Karnavati Crop Producer Company, Adopting a ‘value-chain approach’ for analysing the above
Panna (Madhya Pradesh): Karnavati Crop Producer case studies helps in identifying the key stakeholders, their
Company was formed by the DPIP (District Poverty independent roles despite their interconnectedness, and
Initiatives Programme, Government of Madhya Pradesh) the external support received at each segment of the value
as a company owned and managed collectively by 3,000 chain (Mackie and Mayoux 2007). A typical ‘gendered’ ICS
crop producers (farmers) in Panna district. It partnered value chain is depicted in Figure 2.
with TERI, as part of TERI’s long-standing partnership with
DPIP, to manufacture and disseminate cookstoves through In the three cases described in the preceding section,
VDCs—Village Development Committees (analogous to many roles in the value chain are played by women groups
women Self-Help Group Federations) formed by DPIP. The or entrepreneurs. However, these roles are not played
tasks of procuring raw material, manufacturing, packaging, by them independently, or without external support. The
and marketing cookstoves are divided among four VDCs first type of dependence shown by women stakeholders
engaged by the Producer Company. The model of ICS is on other stakeholders of the value chain. This can be
promoted in Panna is the low-cost improved cookstove attributed to value chains being characterized by inherent
developed by TERI. VDCs offer loans to ICS buyers interconnectedness of its various segments. The second
through a grant provided to VDCs by DPIP. They meet type of dependence shown by them is on TERI and its
their operational costs through interest received from partner organization(s), for various kinds of support.
borrowers. The Producer Company controls the finance Various elements of this support have been determined
of the ICS business and manages the entire supply chain. collaboratively by TERI, its partner organization(s), and
TERI and the Producer Company collaboratively train the women stakeholders, based on contextual needs and
VDCs to perform various tasks, specific to its segment in priorities of the TERI-DFID programme. Furthermore,
the value chain. Furthermore, as in the previous case, TERI this support has been dynamic, allowing adjustments
provides viability gap funding to the Producer Company to and refinements; with an exit strategy for TERI and its
reduce the cost of production of the ICS. partners transparently charted out. The raison d’être
of this support has been triple—(a) to create a business
Case 3 - Amrapalli Self Help Cooperative, ecosystem that promotes the realization of individual
Mayurbhanj (Odisha): Amrapalli Self Help Cooperative stakeholder expectations, finally driving high adoption of
(ASHC) is a cooperative organization of women farmers ICS among rural households, (b) to encourage participation
in Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. It is supported by Dulal,
2 SPT-0610, a stainless steel top loading forced-draft gasifier ICS,
1 SPF-0143, single-port front loading forced-draft ICS, approved by the approved by MNRE.
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India.
JUNE 2015 3
