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A Recipe for Success? Randomized Free Distribution of Improved Cooking Stoves in Senegal

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  • Bensch, Gunther
  • Peters, Jörg

Abstract

Today more than 2.7 billion people rely on biomass as their primary cooking fuel, with profound implications for the environment and people's well-being. Wood provision is often time-consuming and the emitted smoke has severe health effects - both burdens that afflict women in particular. The dissemination of Improved Cooking Stoves (ICS) is frequently considered an eff ective remedy for these problems. This paper evaluates the take-up of ICS and their impacts through a randomized controlled trial in rural Senegal. Although distributed for free, the ICS are used by almost 100 % of households. Furthermore, we find substantial effects on firewood consumption, eye infections, and respiratory disease symptoms. These findings substantiate the increasing efforts of the international community to improve access to improved cooking stoves and call for a more direct promotion of these stoves.

Suggested Citation

  • Bensch, Gunther & Peters, Jörg, 2012. "A Recipe for Success? Randomized Free Distribution of Improved Cooking Stoves in Senegal," Ruhr Economic Papers 325, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:rwirep:325
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    3. Bensch, Gunther & Peters, Jörg, 2011. "Combating Deforestation? – Impacts of Improved Stove Dissemination on Charcoal Consumption in Urban Senegal," Ruhr Economic Papers 306, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
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    6. Alessandro Tarozzi & Aprajit Mahajan & Brian Blackburn & Dan Kopf & Lakshmi Krishnan & Joanne Yoong, 2014. "Micro-loans, Insecticide-Treated Bednets, and Malaria: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial in Orissa, India," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 104(7), pages 1909-1941, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Niklas Vahlne & Erik O. Ahlgren, 2014. "Energy Efficiency at the Base of the Pyramid: A System-Based Market Model for Improved Cooking Stove Adoption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(12), pages 1-21, November.
    2. Rema Hanna & Esther Duflo & Michael Greenstone, 2016. "Up in Smoke: The Influence of Household Behavior on the Long-Run Impact of Improved Cooking Stoves," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 8(1), pages 80-114, February.
    3. Hassen, Sied & Köhlin, Gunnar, 2017. "Does purchase price matter for the waiting time to start using energy efficient technologies: Experimental evidence from rural Ethiopia?," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 133-140.
    4. Beyene,Abebe D. & Bluffstone,Randall & Dissanayake,Sahan & Gebreegziabher,Zenebe & Martinsson,Peter & Mekonnen,Alemu & Toman,Michael A., 2015. "Can improved biomass cookstoves contribute to REDD+ in low-income countries ? evidence from a controlled cooking test trial with randomized behavioral treatments," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7394, The World Bank.
    5. Jacopo Bonan & Stefano Pareglio & Massimo Tavoni, 2014. "Access to Modern Energy: a Review of Impact Evaluations," Working Papers 2014.96, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    6. Calzada, Joan & Sanz, Alex, 2018. "Universal access to clean cookstoves: Evaluation of a public program in Peru," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 559-572.
    7. Gebreegziabher, Zenebe & Beyene, Abebe D. & Bluffstone, Randall & Martinsson, Peter & Mekonnen, Alemu & Toman, Michael A., 2018. "Fuel savings, cooking time and user satisfaction with improved biomass cookstoves: Evidence from controlled cooking tests in Ethiopia," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 173-185.
    8. Daniel Carrión & Rebecca Prah & Theresa Tawiah & Oscar Agyei & Mieks Twumasi & Mohammed Mujtaba & Darby Jack & Kwaku Poku Asante, 2021. "Enhancing LPG Adoption in Ghana (ELAG): A Trial Testing Policy-Relevant Interventions to Increase Sustained Use of Clean Fuels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-12, February.
    9. Agurto Adrianzén, Marcos, 2013. "Improved cooking stoves and firewood consumption: Quasi-experimental evidence from the Northern Peruvian Andes," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 135-143.
    10. Grant Miller & A. Mushfiq Mobarak, 2013. "Gender Differences in Preferences, Intra-Household Externalities, and Low Demand for Improved Cookstoves," NBER Working Papers 18964, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Jeuland, M.A. & Bhojvaid, V. & Kar, A. & Lewis, J.J. & Patange, O. & Pattanayak, S.K. & Ramanathan, N. & Rehman, I.H. & Tan Soo, J.S. & Ramanathan, V., 2015. "Preferences for improved cook stoves: Evidence from rural villages in north India," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(PB), pages 287-298.
    12. Lindgren, Samantha, 2021. "Cookstove implementation and Education for Sustainable Development: A review of the field and proposed research agenda," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Impact evaluation; randomized controlled trial; respiratory disease symptoms; energy access;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • Q41 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Demand and Supply; Prices

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