Approximately four billion people around the world lack access to clean cooking fuel that is efficient, convenient and affordable. Studies suggest that over two billion people on earth still cook with polluting fuels that have serious negative effects on health, gender inequality, environmental and socio-economic outcomes.
Africa targets an 100% transition to clean energy in the next 10 years. According to the Clean Cooking Alliance 2023 Annual Report, this ambitious initiative is backed by the Africa Clean Cooking Consortium. The Africa Development Bank, one of the partners in the consortium, has allocated a budget investment of USD 2 billion dollars towards this target.
Recent findings from our Base of Pyramid (BOP) consumer quarterly tracking study[1] points to a decline in usage and preference for gas-based energy sources for household cooking. Noticeably, consumer preference for kerosene and biomass sources of fuel such as charcoal and firewood show an upward trend between Dec 2023 (Wave 2) and June 2024 (Wave 3)
Several factors could explain these shifts in consumer preference including, rising fuel costs, household income instability, supply chain disruption or access and reliability issues especially for emerging clean cooking fuel innovation products in market.
Cooking behaviour insights as a key to Inclusive Clean Cooking
This notwithstanding, it is clear from this trend analysis, that it cannot be presumed that the development and marketing of affordable, convenient, clean energy solutions will inevitably deliver on inclusion and sustainability outcomes for low-income households in Africa.
A deeper and wider understanding of what consumers consider as value when it comes to domestic cooking is needed. Insights on factors such as palate effect, flavor preference comparisons between biomass and gas sources, cultural nuance and norms, portability e.g. the ability to cook large communal meals outdoors, and the moments that define cooking behavior should be part of the process of designing more responsive pathways to achieving a sustainable and successful transition to clean cooking in Africa.
[1] BOP consumer Research Report is a quarterly tracking study fielded by Frontier Consulting. The study tracks low-income household spending habits across 3 key areas: domestic energy, healthcare and financial services. The objective of this report is to generate insights and understanding on pathways for sustainable and inclusive consumption among Africa’s low-income consumers.