IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/wdevel/v146y2021ics0305750x21002151.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How land tenure and labor relations mediate charcoal’s environmental footprint in Zambia: Implications for sustainable energy transitions

Author

Listed:
  • Pelletier, Johanne
  • Hamalambo, Boniface
  • Trainor, Anne
  • Barrett, Christopher B.

Abstract

Charcoal is the main cooking fuel in urban areas of sub-Saharan Africa and demand is expected to rise with urbanization. We explore the environmental footprint and socioeconomic drivers of charcoal production, using data from original field vegetation and producer surveys in a hotspot charcoal production area outside Lusaka, Zambia. We find that land tenure and labor market conditions structure the environmental footprint of charcoal production. Agricultural expansion is the main driver of forest conversion on customary and private (leasehold) lands where charcoal is a one-off byproduct of land-use change by farmers. By contrast, charcoal production drives forest degradation on State land, especially in Forest Reserves where agriculture is prohibited but the more intact forest is intensively harvested, largely by urban residents or, during the dry season, by nearby farmers lacking remunerative employment. Charcoal producers are remarkably varied, with sharp variation in net financial gains that are positively and significantly associated with volume produced. Strategies for improving the sustainability of charcoal production differ by land tenure type but require a combination of enhanced enforcement of existing land use restrictions, improved labor market conditions, greater support for sustainable agricultural intensification, devolution of forest management to more local level, and adoption of alternative cooking fuel sources by urban residents.

Suggested Citation

  • Pelletier, Johanne & Hamalambo, Boniface & Trainor, Anne & Barrett, Christopher B., 2021. "How land tenure and labor relations mediate charcoal’s environmental footprint in Zambia: Implications for sustainable energy transitions," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:146:y:2021:i:c:s0305750x21002151
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105600
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X21002151
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105600?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Daniel Domeher & Raymond Abdulai, 2012. "Land registration, credit and agricultural investment in Africa," Agricultural Finance Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 72(1), pages 87-103, May.
    2. Anthony Mushinge & Sharon Mulenga, 2016. "Legal Pluralism and Tenure Security: Exploring the Relationship between Statutory and Customary Land Tenure in Zambia," International Journal of Social Science Studies, Redfame publishing, vol. 4(3), pages 7-17, March.
    3. Yin, Runsheng, 2016. "Empirical linkages between devolved tenure systems and forest conditions: An introduction to the literature review," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 271-276.
    4. Lund, Jens Friis & Treue, Thorsten, 2008. "Are We Getting There? Evidence of Decentralized Forest Management from the Tanzanian Miombo Woodlands," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(12), pages 2780-2800, December.
    5. Daniel Domeher & Raymond Abdulai, 2012. "Land registration, credit and agricultural investment in Africa," Agricultural Finance Review, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 72(1), pages 87-103, March.
    6. Yin, Runsheng & Zulu, Leo & Qi, Jiaguo & Freudenberger, Mark & Sommerville, Matthew, 2016. "Empirical linkages between devolved tenure systems and forest conditions: Challenges, findings, and recommendations," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 294-299.
    7. Augustine Mulolwa, 2016. "Land Governance Assessment," World Bank Publications - Reports 28503, The World Bank Group.
    8. Zulu, Leo Charles, 2010. "The forbidden fuel: Charcoal, urban woodfuel demand and supply dynamics, community forest management and woodfuel policy in Malawi," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(7), pages 3717-3730, July.
    9. Khundi, Fydess & Jagger, Pamela & Shively, Gerald & Sserunkuuma, Dick, 2011. "Income, poverty and charcoal production in Uganda," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 199-205, March.
    10. Mulenga, Brian P. & Hadunka, Protensia & Richardson, Robert B., 2017. "Rural households’ participation in charcoal production in Zambia: Does agricultural productivity play a role?," Journal of Forest Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 56-62.
    11. Mulenga, Brian & Nkonde, Chewe & Ngoma, Hambulo, 2015. "Does Customary Land Tenure System Encourage Local Forestry Management in Zambia? A Focus on Wood Fuel," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 207021, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    12. World Bank, 2009. "Environmental Crisis or Sustainable Development Opportunity? Transforming the Charcoal Sector in Tanzania : A Policy Note," World Bank Publications - Reports 18603, The World Bank Group.
    13. Leventon, Julia & Kalaba, Felix K. & Dyer, Jen C. & Stringer, Lindsay C. & Dougill, Andrew J., 2014. "Delivering community benefits through REDD+: Lessons from Joint Forest Management in Zambia," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 10-17.
    14. Vollmer, Frank & Zorrilla-Miras, Pedro & Baumert, Sophia & Luz, Ana Catarina & Woollen, Emily & Grundy, Isla & Artur, Luis & Ribeiro, Natasha & Mahamane, Mansour & Patenaude, Genevieve, 2017. "Charcoal income as a means to a valuable end: Scope and limitations of income from rural charcoal production to alleviate acute multidimensional poverty in Mabalane district, southern Mozambique," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 7, pages 43-60.
    15. Sitko, Nicholas J. & Chamberlin, Jordan & Hichaambwa, Munguzwe, 2014. "Does Smallholder Land Titling Facilitate Agricultural Growth?: An Analysis of the Determinants and Effects of Smallholder Land Titling in Zambia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 791-802.
    16. Yin, Runsheng & Zulu, Leo & Qi, Jiaguo & Freudenberger, Mark & Sommerville, Matthew, 2016. "Empirical linkages between devolved tenure systems and forest conditions: Primary evidence," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 277-285.
    17. Unknown, 2016. "Energy for Sustainable Development," Conference Proceedings 253270, Guru Arjan Dev Institute of Development Studies (IDSAsr).
    18. Smith, Harriet Elizabeth & Jones, Daniel & Vollmer, Frank & Baumert, Sophia & Ryan, Casey M. & Woollen, Emily & Lisboa, Sá N. & Carvalho, Mariana & Fisher, Janet A. & Luz, Ana C. & Grundy, Isla M. & P, 2019. "Urban energy transitions and rural income generation: Sustainable opportunities for rural development through charcoal production," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 237-245.
    19. Arnold, J.E. Michael & Kohlin, Gunnar & Persson, Reidar, 2006. "Woodfuels, livelihoods, and policy interventions: Changing Perspectives," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 596-611, March.
    20. Kalkuhl, Matthias & Schwerhoff, Gregor & Waha, Katharina, 2020. "Land tenure, climate and risk management," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    21. Jagger, Pamela & Shively, Gerald, 2014. "Land use change, fuel use and respiratory health in Uganda," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 713-726.
    22. Sitko, Nicholas J. & Jayne, T.S., 2014. "Structural transformation or elite land capture? The growth of “emergent” farmers in Zambia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 194-202.
    23. Monica Contestabile, 2014. "Forest management in Zambia," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 4(6), pages 420-420, June.
    24. Brian P. Mulenga & Solomon T. Tembo & Robert B. Richardson, 2019. "Electricity access and charcoal consumption among urban households in Zambia," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(5), pages 585-599, September.
    25. Shi, Miaoying & Yin, Runsheng & Zulu, Leo & Qi, Jiaguo & Freudenberger, Mark & Sommerville, Matthew, 2016. "Empirical linkages between devolved tenure systems and forest conditions: Selected case studies and country experiences," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 286-293.
    26. Schure, Jolien & Levang, Patrice & Wiersum, K. Freerk, 2014. "Producing Woodfuel for Urban Centers in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A Path Out of Poverty for Rural Households?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(S1), pages 80-90.
    27. Kalaba, Felix Kanungwe & Quinn, Claire Helen & Dougill, Andrew John, 2013. "The role of forest provisioning ecosystem services in coping with household stresses and shocks in Miombo woodlands, Zambia," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 5(C), pages 143-148.
    28. Sophia Baumert, 2016. "Charcoal Supply Chains from Mabalane to Maputo: Who Benefits?," Working Papers id:10807, eSocialSciences.
    29. Robert Bailis & Rudi Drigo & Adrian Ghilardi & Omar Masera, 2015. "The carbon footprint of traditional woodfuels," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 5(3), pages 266-272, March.
    30. Maes, Wouter H. & Verbist, Bruno, 2012. "Increasing the sustainability of household cooking in developing countries: Policy implications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(6), pages 4204-4221.
    31. Abdulai, Awudu & Owusu, Victor & Goetz, Renan, 2011. "Land tenure differences and investment in land improvement measures: Theoretical and empirical analyses," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(1), pages 66-78, September.
    32. Mwampamba, Tuyeni Heita, 2007. "Has the woodfuel crisis returned? Urban charcoal consumption in Tanzania and its implications to present and future forest availability," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 4221-4234, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Deng, Dandan & Dong, Jiayun & Zhang, Yiwen & Liang, Wenyuan & Liu, Kun & Li, Lingchao, 2023. "Analysis of the environmental Kuznets curve for forest fragmentation: The case of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in China," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kazungu, Moses & Zhunusova, Eliza & Yang, Anastasia Lucy & Kabwe, Gillian & Gumbo, Davison J. & Günter, Sven, 2020. "Forest use strategies and their determinants among rural households in the Miombo woodlands of the Copperbelt Province, Zambia," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    2. Smith, Harriet Elizabeth & Jones, Daniel & Vollmer, Frank & Baumert, Sophia & Ryan, Casey M. & Woollen, Emily & Lisboa, Sá N. & Carvalho, Mariana & Fisher, Janet A. & Luz, Ana C. & Grundy, Isla M. & P, 2019. "Urban energy transitions and rural income generation: Sustainable opportunities for rural development through charcoal production," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 237-245.
    3. Vollmer, Frank & Zorrilla-Miras, Pedro & Baumert, Sophia & Luz, Ana Catarina & Woollen, Emily & Grundy, Isla & Artur, Luis & Ribeiro, Natasha & Mahamane, Mansour & Patenaude, Genevieve, 2017. "Charcoal income as a means to a valuable end: Scope and limitations of income from rural charcoal production to alleviate acute multidimensional poverty in Mabalane district, southern Mozambique," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 7, pages 43-60.
    4. Brobbey, Lawrence Kwabena & Hansen, Christian Pilegaard & Kyereh, Boateng & Pouliot, Mariéve, 2019. "The economic importance of charcoal to rural livelihoods: Evidence from a key charcoal-producing area in Ghana," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 19-31.
    5. Olabisi, Michael & Richardson, Robert B., 2022. "Why the poor pay higher energy prices: Evidence from Tanzania," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 26(C).
    6. D'Agostino, Anthony L. & Urpelainen, Johannes & Xu, Alice, 2015. "Socio-economic determinants of charcoal expenditures in Tanzania: Evidence from panel data," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 472-481.
    7. Huang, Wei, 2019. "Forest condition change, tenure reform, and government-funded eco-environmental programs in Northeast China," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 67-74.
    8. Liu, Shilei & Xia, Jun, 2021. "Forest harvesting restriction and forest restoration in China," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    9. Rose, Julian & Bensch, Gunther & Munyehirwe, Anicet & Peters, Jörg, 2022. "The forgotten coal: Charcoal demand in sub-Saharan Africa," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 25(C).
    10. Bär, Roger & Reinhard, Jürgen & Ehrensperger, Albrecht & Kiteme, Boniface & Mkunda, Thomas & Wymann von Dach, Susanne, 2021. "The future of charcoal, firewood, and biogas in Kitui County and Kilimanjaro Region: Scenario development for policy support," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    11. Long, Hexing & de Jong, Wil & Yiwen, Zhang & Liu, Jinlong, 2021. "Institutional choices between private management and user group management during forest devolution: A case study of forest allocation in China," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    12. Krauss, Judith E. & Artur, Luis & Brockington, Dan & Castro, Eduardo & Fernando, Jone & Fisher, Janet & Kingman, Andrew & Moises, Hosia Mavoto & Mlambo, Ana & Nuvunga, Milagre & Pritchard, Rose & Ribe, 2022. "‘To prevent this disease, we have to stay at home, but if we stay at home, we die of hunger’ – Livelihoods, vulnerability and coping with Covid-19 in rural Mozambique," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    13. Bocci, Corinne & Sohngen, Brent & Finnegan, Bridget & Milian, Bayron, 2022. "An analysis of migrant characteristics in forest-dwelling communities in northern Guatemala," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    14. Feng, Xin & Dai, Yongwu, 2019. "An innovative type of forest insurance in China based on the robust approach," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 23-32.
    15. Cappelli, Federica & Caravaggio, Nicola & Vaquero-Piñeiro, Cristina, 2022. "Buen Vivir and forest conservation in Bolivia: False promises or effective change?," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    16. Schure, Jolien & Levang, Patrice & Wiersum, K. Freerk, 2014. "Producing Woodfuel for Urban Centers in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A Path Out of Poverty for Rural Households?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(S1), pages 80-90.
    17. Shi, Daojin & Chen, Lunsong & Wang, Xiaoli & Xu, Xiuying & Yang, Lixia, 2022. "Rural venture investments with credits mortgaged on farmer's forests—A case study of Zhejiang, China," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    18. Kuluppuarachchi, Mahesha K. & Sun, Changyou & Gordon, Jason S. & Grebner, Donald L. & Munn, Ian A. & Yang, Jia, 2021. "The length and determinants of forestland ownerships in Mississippi from 1999 to 2019," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    19. Yang Ren & Jari Kuuluvainen & Anne Toppinen & Shunbo Yao & Sami Berghäll & Heimo Karppinen & Caixia Xue & Liu Yang, 2018. "The Effect of China’s New Circular Collective Forest Tenure Reform on Household Non-Timber Forest Product Production in Natural Forest Protection Project Regions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-17, April.
    20. Mawutor, Samuel M. & Hajjar, Reem, 2022. "Examining the powers decentralized to community resource management areas in Ghana," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:146:y:2021:i:c:s0305750x21002151. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/worlddev .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.