Clean cooking fuel can end drought, hunger

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) figures show inflation hit a 6.58 per cent high last month since September 2017, attributed to the rising cost of food prices due to drought.

As MPs finalise the 2019/2020 budget over the next three months, therefore, Kenyans will be interested to know its impact on food security.

ERRATIC RAINFALL

Food security is a key element of the Kenya Vision 2030 and an important pillar in the ‘Big Four Agenda’. If Kenya is to truly achieve its targets, we need a holistic approach towards tackling food insecurity.

Foremost is our reliance on charcoal and firewood for cooking energy, which spurs deforestation, leading to land degradation and soil erosion.

Kenya’s forest cover is at 7.4 per cent, below the global minimum of 10 per cent. The Forest Policy 2014 recognises the critical role that forests play as the country’s water towers and catchments, where over 75 per cent of the country’s renewable surface water originate, crucial for human livelihoods and agriculture.

Besides, some 62 million cubic metres of water are lost annually due to deforestation, which also causes erratic rainfall patterns and, therefore, lower agricultural yields.

Reliance on charcoal, and in many areas kerosene, for cooking also exacerbates air pollution, whose levels are alarmingly high. Indeed, ambient air pollution in Nairobi is at least six times higher than WHO safe limits.

A report by Dalberg Advisors, a global development research and consultancy firm, highlights the prevalence of dirty fuels in urban Kenya, notably charcoal (22 per cent) and kerosene (29 per cent), likely driven by their availability in small quantities, due to the “kadogo economy”.

The health risks of cooking with these fuels are high as they release harmful products that are strongly linked to diseases and low birth weight.

INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES

Availability of clean cooking fuels is an essential driver of food security and improved family health. While the government has made substantial progress in rural electrification, electric cooking is not viable for most Kenyans due to the high consumer electricity tariffs and equipment costs. Though the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is increasingly prevalent in urban Kenya, it’s expensive.

Innovative technologies and business models provide safer and potentially cheaper cooking fuel options, including bio-ethanol. This has the potential to provide an extremely affordable alternative to dirty fuels and can be scaled up without subsidies.

Promoting the uptake of bio-ethanol and LPG would be a hugely important food security measure. It would produce no deadly emissions and dramatically reduce demand for deforestation-based charcoal.

Access to bio-ethanol could be transformative for low-income earners since it’s a clean and safe option at no financial penalty. Its adoption, however, faces certain obstacles, key among them high taxation, which is inevitably passed on to consumers. With enabling fiscal policies, there is potential to grow a major ethanol industry in Kenya and bring clean fuel within the reach of all Kenyans.

MPs should consider proposals and amendments that favour tax reduction for clean fuels. Look beyond the price of unga and take long-term sustainable action that promotes food security while also conserving the environment.

Ms Kinyua is a senior communication consultant, africapractice. [email protected]