27
SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS Affordability and other challenges are compounded by social and cultural fac- tors that affect households’ willingness to make the transition to clean cooking. Communities are often highly attached to their traditional cooking methods, which are often tied to particular dishes, occasions or ceremonies, and which may vary considerably by locality. For instance, in Nepal particular ceremonial dishes are pre- pared in temporary, separate stoves. In Kenya, communal cooking rituals are inte- gral to certain social gatherings. Meanwhile, in parts of Latin America the tradition of asado is a community event involving a range of open-fire grilling techniques. The local dishes characteristic of a given country or region may also dictate the types of stoves and technologies that appeal to households, highlighting the chal- lenge of identifying a universal stove design. In some cases, a preference in prepar- ing traditional dishes using older cooking methods, rather than a new stove or fuel, acts as a barrier to change. Traditional cooking methods also produce bioproducts that are seen as valuable for other uses. For example, ash is used in fertilizer and traditional medicines, while smoke can be used to repel mosquitos and preserve food. In some contexts, tra- ditional stoves also serve to heat houses, a function that is not provided by most modern cooking appliances. While the cookstove cost is partly holding back adop- tion of cleaner cooking, there are several other compelling reasons why price may not be the sole reason. Gender norms around household decision-making further complicate the uptake of clean cooking. While women typically do most of the cooking, domestic resources are often controlled by male household heads with low awareness of the incon- veniences and risks associated with biomass cooking. 47 Even in contexts where women have more financial autonomy (e.g., when they earn an income outside the home), they may still lack influence over a decision of this significance.
47 Das, I. et al. (2020) A virtuous cycle. Reviewing the Evidence on Women’s Empowerment and Energy Access, Frameworks, Metrics and Methods, Duke University, https://energyaccess.duke.edu/publication/a- virtuous-cycle-reviewing-the-evidence-on-womens-empowerment-and-energy-access-frameworks-metrics- and-methods/
2. CHALLENGES IN THE CLEAN COOKING TRANSITION
Powered by FlippingBook