Fuelwood is the main source of domestic cooking energy in Côte d'Ivoire. 87% of households use firewood or charcoal. High wood consumption has an impact on forests. In fact, of the 16 million hectares of forest cover in the 1900s only 3.4 million ha of the country’s forests remained by 2015. At this rate, the country risks quickly losing its remaining forest cover and becoming more vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
To remedy this situation, the Association of Owners of Natural Forests and Plantations (APFNP), in the S/P of Affery, began to manufacture biochar as a substitute for firewood and charcoal. This community association uses agricultural residues to produce biochar. To maximize its potential, APFNP has developed an improved stove, which limits smoke generation and energy loss. Faced with the enthusiasm of the people of Affery for this initiative, the REDD+ mechanism in Côte d'Ivoire provided support to the association with the aim of scaling up production throughout the sub-prefecture.
