A ventor illegally sells bags of charcoal on the side of the road. Photo: Scott Gregory Photography (flickr)

Charcoal is Malawi's cheapest energy source, but local dependency on charcoal fuel is stripping the country's forests. The charcoal trade is illegal in Malawi, and now government and environmental groups are scrambling to find affordable forms of alternative energy for heating and cooking.

A shift away from charcoal seems implausible for many residents of the tiny southeast African country, where electricity and other energy options are much more expensive. Voice of America reports that Malawians, who earn an average of $19 a month, would have to fork out $30 for a new electric hot plate, where a locally made charcoal stove costs only $2.

Environmentalists say the charcoal trade is responsible for the loss of 50,000 hectares of native forests — the highest deforestation rate in Southeastern Africa.

Police roadblocks have failed to significantly impede charcoal trafficking. Malawi charcoal producer John Manda told VOA why he continues to ignore the charcoal ban:

I have been burning charcoal for 20 years. This is where my bread and butter come from; this is where I get money to pay school fees for my children. Although I know that it is not legal, there is no way I can stop without government giving me an alternative business.

Charcoal is one of the few industries in Malawi that benefits the poor, economist Patrick Kambewa told IRIN. In 2007, Kambewa published a report on charcoal consumption, trade and production which estimated that around 93,000 people depend on the charcoal industry for employment. (Malawi has a population of over 10 million.) Kambewa suggests that industry regulation — not criminalization — is a wiser way to address charcoal consumption.

"[Criminalizing the charcoal trade] has not helped matters, and all government ought to do is look into issues of taxation and rehabilitation of forests," said Kambewa. "People should be trained on how to manage forests at community level. They should be told about the importance of reforestation and the need to manage such resources.

Malawi is trying to wean itself off charcoal. The locally-based Wildlife and Environmental Society is training people in other profitable vocations like beekeeping and fruit juice production. Meanwhile, the government, with assistance from the European Union, has launched a six-year program that promotes sustainable forest management. The program will also push for expanding use of wind and solar energy. But VOA says people are skeptical that these efforts will fail to reduce the temptation of the lucrative charcoal trade.

In refugee camps in Sudan and the Congo, Mercy Corps trained locals to build and use fuel-efficient stoves, reducing the demand for firewood and ultimately cutting consumption by 50 percent.