Successes and Challenges of Improved Biomass Cooking Stoves Adoption along the Product Value Chain in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the adoption of ICS along the value chain. The existing studies have focused much on measuring adoption based on the user’s installation or purchase of the ICS and few have gone to the level of assessing other aspects along the ICS value chain. The argument of this paper is that adoption is a multidimensional concept that goes beyond the initial acquisition of the stove to the sustained use of the same. Using a cross-sectional study design data were collected from 294 households in two Districts of Kilimanjaro regions and were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The findings show that at the lower levels of value chain i.e. promotion and distributions the efforts have been somehow successful since people are aware of ICS benefits and negative effects of using traditional fuels and stoves. In addition, various stove distributors and technicians are in place. On the other hand, the uptake is limited since only 26% of all households had ICS in place of which only 22.1% had functional stoves. The intensity of ICS use is very limited and households have not integrated the stove into household cooking behavior. The study concludes that the stoves program implementers have adopted a disintegrated approach that disconnects various levels of the value chain. The efforts are much concentrated at lowers levels with limited interventions to address challenges limiting uptake, the intensity of use and sustained adoption. The study recommends that a holistic and integrated approach that will facilitate ICS adoption along the value chain should be adopted. This approach will facilitate forward and backward communications on challenges facing each level of the value chain.