Sawdust pellets, micro gasifying cook stoves and charcoal in urban Zambia: Understanding the value chain dynamics of improved cook stove initiatives

In urban Zambia one initiative for sustainable energy provision has been the introduction of micro gasifying cook stoves and sawdust pellets to replace cooking on charcoal. From 2010 onward several commercial companies - with various organisational structures - have been trying to market these stoves to low-income households, with varying degrees of success. This paper will explore the value chain dynamics of these improved cook stove initiatives to see whether organisational set-up influences stove adoption and market penetration. It is argued that initiatives to market improved cook stoves can, paradoxically, learn a lot from the existing charcoal value chain and its marketing structure. Improved cook stove initiatives have to be understood within a technical, social and economic context, as people, markets and locality matter and one size does not fit all.