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Producing Woodfuel for Urban Centers in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A Path Out of Poverty for Rural Households?

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  • Schure, Jolien
  • Levang, Patrice
  • Wiersum, K. Freerk

Abstract

Woodfuel is a renewable energy source with good potential for climate change mitigation. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the sector employs over 300,000 people for the supply of Kinshasa alone, but the benefits to the poor are often unknown. This paper analyzes the contribution of commercial woodfuel production to livelihoods and poverty reduction in the DRC. Woodfuel revenues, especially those of charcoal, contribute substantially to producers’ household income, ranging from 12% for fuelwood producers around Kisangani to 75% for charcoal producers around Kinshasa. It supports basic needs and investments in other livelihood activities (for 82% of charcoal producers and 65% of fuelwood producers), which helps to reduce poverty. The contribution of woodfuel commercialization to poverty reduction should be part of energy and forestry policies.

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  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:64:y:2014:i:s1:p:s80-s90
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2014.03.013
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    3. Valdemar J. Wesz Junior & Simone Piras & Catia Grisa & Stefano Ghinoi, 2021. "Assessing Brazilian agri-food policies: what impact on family farms?," Papers 2105.14996, arXiv.org.
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    5. Wunder, Sven & Angelsen, Arild & Belcher, Brian, 2014. "Forests, Livelihoods, and Conservation: Broadening the Empirical Base," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(S1), pages 1-11.
    6. 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).
    7. 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).
    8. Burke, Paul J. & Dundas, Guy, 2015. "Female Labor Force Participation and Household Dependence on Biomass Energy: Evidence from National Longitudinal Data," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 424-437.
    9. 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.
    10. Eliezer Majambu & Salomon Mampeta Wabasa & Camille Welepele Elatre & Laurence Boutinot & Symphorien Ongolo, 2019. "Can Traditional Authority Improve the Governance of Forestland and Sustainability? Case Study from the Congo (DRC)," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-12, April.
    11. Amadu, Festus O. & Miller, Daniel C., 2024. "The impact of forest product collection and processing on household income in rural Liberia," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    12. Schure, Jolien & Ingram, Verina & Arts, Bas & Levang, Patrice & Mvula-Mampasi, Emmanuel, 2015. "Institutions and access to woodfuel commerce in the Democratic Republic of Congo," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 53-61.
    13. Shapiro, Aurélie C. & Bernhard, Katie P. & Zenobi, Stefano & Müller, Daniel & Aguilar-Amuchastegui, Naikoa & d'Annunzio, Rémi, 2021. "Proximate causes of forest degradation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo vary in space and time," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 2.
    14. Olabisi, Michael & Richardson, Robert B., 2022. "Why the poor pay higher energy prices: Evidence from Tanzania," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 26(C).
    15. Chervier, Colas & Ximenes, Arimatéa C. & Mihigo, Blaise-Pascal Ntirumenyerwa & Doumenge, Charles, 2024. "Impact of industrial logging concession on deforestation and forest degradation in the DRC," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    16. Doris Mutta & Larwanou Mahamane & Chemuku Wekesa & Godwin Kowero & Anders Roos, 2021. "Sustainable Business Models for Informal Charcoal Producers in Kenya," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-17, March.

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