Charcoal production and trade in southern Mozambique : historical trends and present scenarios

Abstract

Charcoal production can lead to changes in ecosystem services provision and forest degradation while also significantly contributing to rural income and poverty alleviation. In urban centres of Mozambique, charcoal is the major energy source for cooking. Growing demand drives high wood extraction rates over increasing areas of forest. As such, understanding charcoal production and trade has important implications for rural areas and the sustainable development of the forest sector. Here, we investigate this through empirical research conducted in Gaza Province, the main supply area for Maputo, Mozambique. We analyse both 1) the present structure of the main charcoal supply chains to Maputo; and 2) charcoal volume licensing trends since 2009. We relied on official licensing records for four districts supplied by the Agricultural Provincial Directorate (DPA) of Gaza province. We also conducted fieldwork, from