The journey to clean cooking: Practical insights from case studies in Kenya and Zambia

This discussion brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the barriers to the adoption and long-term use of advanced cookstoves in Kenya and Zambia. Using 'user journeys' from service design, the study finds that while affordability and aspirational appeal drive initial purchases, long-term adoption depends on the stove's performance and the availability of ongoing user support to overcome the significant behavioral shifts required to change cooking habits.

• Adopting advanced cookstoves requires a significant behavioral shift because these stoves often use different fuels, regulate temperature differently, and can alter the taste and texture of food compared to traditional biomass stoves.
• The primary motivations for households to purchase advanced stoves are the potential for saving money or fuel, increased convenience, and the aesthetic or aspirational appeal of owning modern technology.
• While purchase is driven by various motivations, long-term adoption is primarily determined by whether the stove functions as expected and whether the user can operate it optimally.
• Current sales methods often rely on quick pitches and demonstrations that do not allow users to actually cook on the stoves, leading to frustration when users discover limitations after purchase.
• To prevent users from abandoning advanced stoves, the study recommends providing hands-on trials before purchase, high-quality user manuals, and personal follow-up support from trusted sources.
• Governments can support the transition to clean cooking by providing incentives to make advanced biomass stoves and fuels more available and affordable, and by establishing a regulatory environment that favors clean technologies.

APA

Jürisoo, M. (2016). The journey to clean cooking: Practical insights from case studies in Kenya and Zambia. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DB-2016-Journey-clean-cooking.pdf

Chicago

Jürisoo, Marie. The journey to clean cooking: Practical insights from case studies in Kenya and Zambia. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2016. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DB-2016-Journey-clean-cooking.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jürisoo |first1=Marie |title=The journey to clean cooking: Practical insights from case studies in Kenya and Zambia |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2016 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DB-2016-Journey-clean-cooking.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jrisoo2016journey, author = {Jürisoo, Marie}, title = {{The journey to clean cooking: Practical insights from case studies in Kenya and Zambia}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2016}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/SEI-DB-2016-Journey-clean-cooking.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }