Perceptions of Improved Biomass and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Stoves in Puno, Peru: Implications for Promoting Sustained and Exclusive Adoption of Clean Cooking Technologies

Abstract

Many households in low- and middle-income countries cook with inefficient biomass-burning stoves, which cause high levels of household air pollution and threaten long-term health. Although clean stoves and fuels are available, uptake and consistent use has been low. Using observations and in-depth interviews, we assessed the attitudes, preferences, and beliefs about traditional versus liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stoves in rural Puno, Peru. A total of 31 in-depth interviews were conducted with primary cooks and their families, health workers, community leaders, and improved stove contractors. Six in-home observations of meal preparation were also conducted. Six major barriers to consistent use of clean stoves were identified: (1) perceived differences in food taste and nutrition by stove type; (2) cooking niches filled by different stoves; (3) social norms related to cooking practices; (4) safety concerns; (5) comparative costs of using different stoves; and (6) lack of awareness and concern about long-term health risks. These findings suggest that to successfully reduce household air pollution, clean cooking programs and policies must consider the many factors influencing adoption beyond health, such as cost, taste, fears, and cultural traditions. These factors could be incorporated into community-based and national efforts to scale-up sustained and exclusive adoption of clean cooking.

Government policy, clean fuel access, and persistent fuel stacking in Ecuador

“…In addition, participants described the benefits and limitations of each of their stoves. Fuel cost (Beltramo, Blalock, Levine, & Simons, 2015; Puzzolo, Pope, Stanistreet, Rehfuess, & Bruce, 2016), fuel availability (Lewis & Pattanayak, 2012; Puzzolo et al, 2016), heating demand (Aggarwal & Chandel, 2004; Granderson, Sandhu, Vasquez, Ramirez, & Smith, 2009; Hollada et al, 2017; Simon, Bailis, Baumgartner, Hyman, & Laurent, 2014), and fuel and stove compatibility with local cooking customs (Baumgartner et al, 2011; Terrado, Eitel, McCracken, & Charron, 2005) were studied as barriers to exclusive clean fuel use in household surveys. The survey was pilot tested and refined by the authors and the field team prior to implementation in order to improve clarity and respond to themes that emerged.…”

An evaluation of the Fondo de Inclusión Social Energético program to promote access to liquefied petroleum gas in Peru

“…The survey included questions about household and participant sociodemographics, stove and fuel use, and experiences with the program. Questions related to barriers and facilitators to adoption of clean fuels were developed based on prior research (Puzzolo, 2016; Hollada, 2017), as well as consultation with key informants. We obtained oral informed consent and surveyed one member of each household 18 years of age or older capable of providing informed consent and answering the survey questions.…”

Adoption of improved biomass stoves in Kenya: a transect-based approach in Kiambu and Muranga counties

“…In particular, the probit analysis reveals that households located in the peri-urban zone have a significantly higher probability of adopting improved biomass stoves as primary stoves, while households located in the close-forest zone have a significantly lower probability of doing so (section 3.2). This is possibly due to the fact that urbanization increases the availability of (and access to) modern fuels (e.g., though improved market infrastructure) and awareness about modern products, including clean cookstoves [13,14,52,53]. This, combined with the significantly higher income in this zone (table 5), possibly due to better employment and income diversification opportunities [52,54], creates an environment conducive to the adoption of improved biomass stoves.…”

“…This is possibly due to the fact that urbanization increases the availability of (and access to) modern fuels (e.g., though improved market infrastructure) and awareness about modern products, including clean cookstoves [13,14,52,53]. This, combined with the significantly higher income in this zone (table 5), possibly due to better employment and income diversification opportunities [52,54], creates an environment conducive to the adoption of improved biomass stoves. On the other hand, fuel scarcity in the semiarid zone (and the generally higher fuel prices), compounded with the lower household incomes (table 5), also result in a conducive environment for the adoption of improved biomass stoves as primary stoves (though this result is not statistically significant).…”

“…Kenya has been striving to modernize its household energy system. For example, many efforts have been made in the promotion of clean cookstove and fuel options, but most such efforts have faced difficulties such as a lack of financing, slow technological progress, low consumer awareness, and lack of infrastructure for fuel and stove production and distribution [11][12][13][14]. The Kenyan government set a national target of seven million households to adopt clean stoves (e.g., liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), ethanol, electricity) and energy-efficient biomass stoves by 2020, coupled with the formulation of plans aiming to ensure the affordability and cost-efficiency of clean cooking options [5].…”