A new report from GVEP-I sets out to tackle the question of why the adoption of improved cook stoves has been so slow in developing countries.

GVEP International has produced a report compiling a series of articles written by key stakeholders active in the promotion, dissemination and marketing of cookstoves globally.

The main purpose of the report is to delve deeper into issues of why and how cookstoves takes so much time and effort to be brought on to the market successfully. The report looks at the challenges associated with commercialising cookstove products and other reasons for market underdevelopment despite the enormous potential which improved cookstoves have as well as detailing several successes. There is a particular focus on populations in the South where the vast majority continue to depend on firewood and charcoal for cooking.

One message is clear: from product development to achieving large scale dissemination, the market for cookstoves is highly dependent on government or donor (even carbon) funds and subsidies, sector specific non profit institutions, and in the current climate, visionary social entrepreneurs.

Read the report.