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1
Prepared for: The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves
Ghana Consumer Segmentation Study
April 2014
2
Project Motivation
3 billion people – roughly 40% of the world population – rely on solid
fuels and inefficient traditional stoves for cooking. This results in
significant negative health and social impacts:
1. Toxic fumes from burning solid fuels cause 4 million premature
deaths annually (Global Burden of Disease Study 2010).
2. The increasing cost of supplying fuel is an economic burden
for poor households, particularly for women.
3. Massive reliance on wood or charcoal as fuel worsens
deforestation, soil erosion and natural disasters.
The Global Alliance for Clean Cook stoves was launched in 2010
with the aim to address these problems and foster the adoption of
clean cook stoves and fuels by 100 million households by 2020.
The Alliance identified Ghana as one of 6 priority countries where a
comprehensive range of market-enabling activities will be conducted
in 2012-14.
The Alliance commissioned Added Value to gather information that
will help prioritize the market segments with the greatest adoption
potential and to identify key success factors to maximize uptake
(technology features, marketing messages, payments schemes,
distribution channels…).
3
The Study was Conducted in Two Phases:
Phase I: Consumer Segmentation
Phase II: Qualitative Research & In-Field Testing
Key Research Objective: To identify the 3 consumer segments with the greatest potential to reach scale for clean cook stove and fuel adoption in Ghana.
Key Research Objective: To better understand the needs of users and to reveal the market triggers that can facilitate large-scale and sustained uptake of clean cooking technologies.
4
Phase I: Consumer Segmentation
5
Phase I: Consumer Segmentation
Background
Foundations – Overview of Previous Work
Analysis of Income and Expenditure
Segmentation with Income Distribution
Refining by Geographic Area
6
Background
7
Objectives of the Consumer Segmentation Phase
Key Research Objective:
To identify the 3 consumer segments with the greatest potential to reach scale for clean cook stove and fuel adoption in Ghana.
Research methodology:
1. Initial review of literature: scoping of previous research conducted by the Alliance and other qualified institutions in Ghana.
2. Expert interviews: interview of 3 local experts from the cookstove sector and/or the social marketing industry with a focus on the segmentation strategy.
3. GLSS 5 data analysis: in depth analysis of results from the 5th wave of the Ghana Living Standards Survey (2005-2006).
Main Deliverable from this Phase:
Detailed recruitment criteria for the 3 priority consumer
segments to be interviewed in the next phase of the study.
8
Key Considerations on GLSS5 data
Unless otherwise specified the Fifth Round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey is the source
of data for all tables and figures presented in this report.
The GLSS 5 is a nation-wide survey which was conducted between September 2005 and
September 2006 under the supervision of the Ghana Statistical Service, with support from the
World Bank. The survey collected detailed socio-economic information including demography,
health, employment, housing conditions, access to basic services, as well as income and
expenditure.
Although the publication of the data dates back to 2008, GLSS 5 was selected as the main source
of data to build the consumer segmentation because:
It provides a single comprehensive nation-wide dataset from which to conduct multivariate analysis with a
large sample size (>8,600 households).
It incorporates questions on cooking habits (especially fuel usage).
To the best of our knowledge, it is the most recent publicly available dataset of its kind for Ghana at the time
of conducting this study (with GLSS 6 data collection still on-going in October 2013).
The 7 years passed since collection of the GLSS 5 data will likely have resulted in changes in the
size of specific consumer segments. However, statistics derived from the GLSS 5 remain our best
available information until the GLSS 6 dataset is released.
9
Foundations – Overview of Previous Work
10
Findings from Ghana Market Assessment Sector Mapping
This report builds on findings from an initial market assessment conducted by
Accenture Development Partnerships on behalf of the Alliance in early 2012.
The Accenture assessment established that:
Ghana has a population of 24 million inhabitants (6.1 million households).
28.5% of the population remains below the national poverty line.
Over 80% of households use biomass as their primary cooking fuel (more than 50% still use wood).
Ghana is facing rapid deforestation which results in high (and increasing) biomass fuel prices.
The three main marketers of Gyapa-style improved cookstoves together account for less than 5% of
the total cookstove market.
Other types of improved charcoal cookstoves are only starting to be promoted.
There are no cookstove programs for woodstoves that have reached scale.
The report highlights a major limitation in the many sources of data reviewed: there
is only very limited information available on the exact penetration rate of improved
cookstoves in the population.
11
Initial Segmentation
In their market assessment report Accenture proposes a segmentation developed
from the GLSS 5 dataset and based on two variables: (1) locality (defined as urban or
rural) and (2) main fuel used for cooking. This strategy was based on the assumption
that “locality approximates income and region”.
The Accenture segmentation yielded eight consumer segments of which four were
selected as key segments: Wood Primary ( ) ; Charcoal Primary ( ) ; Charcoal
with LPG Access ( ) ; LPG Primary ( ).
1 2
3 4
12
Limitations
The initial segmentation proposed in the Ghana Market Assessment report offers a
useful framework for a broad understanding of the Ghanaian cookstove market.
However, in our opinion, we must go a step further to define the key target
segments for the Alliance. Indeed, the segmentation assumes that locality
(urban/rural), region and income are highly correlated. There is no support for this
assumption given in the report. If the correlation is not as strong as assumed, we
run the risk of overlooking key differences in needs or behaviors.
13
Way Forward
In the pages that follow, we undertake a full review of the GLSS 5 data with specific
focus on the variables which were originally left aside:
Income distribution among Ghanaian households : Income is a key variable to take into
account when developing consumer segments for clean cooking solutions because the willingness
to invest in such solutions is heavily constrained by each household’s purchasing power.
Geographic differences between regions: Differences across regions account for two key
factors which are likely to affect the success of a marketing campaign for clean cookstoves : the
availability of wood for free collection and the price of biomass fuels on the market (especially
charcoal).
Thus, new, narrower consumer segments are identified based on these variables.
Unfortunately, the GLSS 5 dataset does not incorporate questions on ownership of
improved cookstoves. This is one key limitation in the segmentation developed
below as it is impossible to differentiate users vs non-users of clean cooking
technologies within a given segment (with the exception of LPG).
14
Analysis of Income and Expenditure
15
Reminder - Income Distribution in Ghana
Our analysis points to several issues with income data from GLSS 5:
16% of households declare no income other than social transfers –they are
likely under-declaring vs reality
The information is only available in 2005-2006 local currency (not regionally
adjusted, no PPP).
The average total gross income per Ghanaian household was 1,180 Ghana cedis
(Ghc) at the time of the survey. The data shows a high level of income inequality: the
wealthiest region (Greater Accra) accounts for more than 7 times the income of the
poorest (Upper East).
16
Expenditure Distribution in Ghana
We propose using annual household expenditure data as a proxy for income: it
provides more accurate estimates of the actual wealth and purchasing power of
each household because it is adjusted based on regional food prices:
In 2005, the mean national per capita expenditure was US$ 2,001. While non-adjusted
income data suggested that Greater Accra was significantly wealthier than all other
regions, the regionally adjusted expenditure data show that several regions have
comparable or even superior wealth levels. This is because the less expensive
goods in certain regions result in a higher level of purchasing power.
17
Expenditure Distribution in Ghana
Expenditure data points to a high level of inequality between households at a
country level: the mean per capita expenditure within the 5th expenditure quintile is
more than ten times that of the 1st quintile
In 2005, both quintile 1 and quintile 2 (40% of the population) still spent less than
US$ 2 per day and per household member on average.
18
Expenditure Distribution in Ghana
While the initial segmentation assumed that locality correlates with income and
assumes that rural regions are poorer, an analysis of expenditure by locality shows
that high income households are well represented in rural areas
19
Expenditure Distribution in Ghana
High income quintiles (4 and 5) are over represented in Greater Accra, in the Coastal Regions
(Western and Central), and in the Ashanti and Eastern regions. Low income quintiles (1 and 2)
are predominant in the Northern, Upper West and Upper East regions:
IMPORTANT: Note that quintiles are population weighted which explains that the
proportion of households in each quintile isn’t equal to 20% of the total.
Household Population Distribution by Expenditure Quintile - Regional
1 2 3 4 5 Total
Ashanti 9.0% 15.0% 19.1% 22.9% 34.0% 100.0%
Brong ahafo 11.7% 19.6% 20.6% 19.7% 28.3% 100.0%
Central 5.5% 12.0% 17.4% 24.5% 40.5% 100.0%
eastern 6.6% 12.7% 18.3% 26.7% 35.8% 100.0%
Greater accra 10.7% 11.6% 13.6% 20.5% 43.5% 100.0%
Northern 31.6% 19.9% 16.4% 13.1% 19.1% 100.0%
Upper east 48.5% 21.2% 13.0% 9.5% 7.8% 100.0%
Upper west 70.3% 14.3% 6.5% 4.9% 3.9% 100.0%
Volta 11.8% 18.6% 22.1% 20.6% 26.9% 100.0%
Western 7.9% 15.8% 17.1% 21.2% 37.9% 100.0%
Total 17.5% 15.7% 16.9% 19.6% 30.4% 100.0%
20
Summary of Key Findings
Our in-depth review of income and expenditure data from GLSS 5 reveals that:
Income inequalities between Accra and other regions were not as significant as
initially suggested by the Market Assessment mapping and gross income data.
This points to significant opportunities to promote clean cooking solutions
outside of Greater Accra among populations with sufficient purchasing power
to invest in such technologies.
The Coastal regions (Western and Central), Ashanti and Eastern regions, are
home to a large proportion of high and middle income segments, along with
Greater Accra.
43% of households living in rural areas belong to the wealthiest national
expenditure quintiles (4 and 5). This shows that locality does not correlate as
simply with income as assumed. A segmentation combining locality and
income variables is likely to yield more meaningful results.
Both regional differences and rural-urban differences should be considered alongside
income data in order to target the areas with highest potential for clean cookstove
adoption. The next chapter will attempt to develop such a segmentation.
21
Segmentation with Income Distribution
22
Overview of Fuel Preferences by Expenditure Quintile
In 2005-2006, wood remained the main fuel used across all income quintiles, with 41%
of households still using wood in the 5th quintile and up to 74% of firewood users in
the 1st quintile. It is worth noting that 20% of households in quintile 5 use LPG:
Main Fuel Used by Expenditure Quintile
1 2 3 4 5 Total
Charcoal 17.2% 25.0% 30.0% 35.6% 36.8% 30.0%
Electricity 0.2% 0.1% 0.4% 0.2% 0.4% 0.3%
Firewood 73.9% 67.7% 62.4% 54.1% 41.4% 57.5%
Gas 2.2% 3.2% 5.1% 8.6% 20.1% 9.3%
Kerosene 0.3% 0.2% 0.3% 0.6% 1.2% 0.6%
Other 6.3% 3.8% 1.7% 0.8% 0.2% 2.2%
Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%
23
Distribution of Expenditure Quintiles by Main Fuel Used
In 2005-2006, quintiles 4 and 5 account for almost 60% of charcoal users and 80% of
LPG users. Quintiles 1 to 3 are slightly overrepresented among wood fuel users
(60.5% of wood fuel users vs. 50% of the population).
GLSS 5 data suggest that there may be a significant opportunity to market
clean fuels and/or cookstoves amongst wealthier wood fuel users.
24
New Segmentation with Expenditure as a Third Variable
In order to add expenditure quintiles as a third variable in our segmentation, it is
preferable to group the quintiles in larger groups of equal size:
QUINTILE 5
QUINTILE 4
QUINTILE 3
QUINTILE 2
QUINTILE 1
HIGH INCOME
30%
MIDDLE INCOME
33%
LOW INCOME
37%
+
+
MIDDLE INCOME
33%
MIDDLE INCOME
33%
25
Main Fuel by Income Group and Locality
LOW MIDDLE HIGH Total
Charcoal 7.1% 12.2% 10.8% 30.0%
Rural 1.3% 2.8% 3.1% 7.3%
Urban 5.7% 9.4% 7.6% 22.7%
Electricity 0.0% 0.1% 0.1% 0.3%
Rural 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Urban 0.0% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2%
Firewood 24.0% 21.4% 12.1% 57.5%
Rural 20.7% 18.5% 10.5% 49.8%
Urban 3.3% 2.9% 1.6% 7.7%
Gas 0.9% 2.6% 5.9% 9.3%
Rural 0.1% 0.1% 0.6% 0.8%
Urban 0.8% 2.4% 5.3% 8.6%
Kerosene 0.1% 0.2% 0.3% 0.6%
Rural 0.0% 0.0% 0.1% 0.1%
Urban 0.1% 0.1% 0.3% 0.5%
Other 1.7% 0.5% 0.0% 2.2%
Rural 1.7% 0.5% 0.0% 2.2%
Urban 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Total 33.9% 36.9% 29.2% 100.0%
New Segmentation with Expenditure as a Third Variable Introducing an income proxy in the segmentation model yields 36 segments of
which 7 are of significant size (>5% of the market): Low Income (LI) Urban Charcoal ( ) ,
Middle Income (MI) Urban Charcoal ( ), High Income (HI) Urban Charcoal ( ), LI Rural Wood ( ),
MI Rural Wood ( ), HI Rural Wood ( ), and HI Urban LPG ( ).
1 2 3
4
5
6
7
1
2 3 4
5
6 7
26
Prioritizing Segments
In order to assess the potential of the 7 segments identified in the new segmentation based on
income, we have considered two dimensions:
1. Purchasing power: the ability of each segment to invest in products other than basic
goods and services (other than food, water, and housing);
2. Economic incentive: the impact of the local price of charcoal or availability of firewood
on a segment’s willingness to pay for improved cooking solutions. Our analysis is based
on the hypothesis that urban charcoal users rely on a scarce and expensive cooking fuel
while rural wood users have access to a more abundant and more affordable source of
cooking energy.
This analysis concludes that while there is a sizeable base of
charcoal and wood users with medium or high purchasing power,
charcoal users have a higher economic incentive to switch to clean
cookstoves. Thus they should be our primary target.
Wood users with high/medium purchasing power represent an
attractive secondary target. LPG users are an interesting peripheral
target as they represent early adopters of new cooking solutions.
27
Locality and Economic Incentive to Adopt Efficient
Cookstoves As expected, a large majority of urban households (70.9%) reported fuel expenses in the GLSS 5.
On the other hand, only 37.5% of rural households had incurred fuel expenses during the 12
months prior to the interview. More than two thirds of rural wood users did not purchase
firewood at the time of the survey.
% HOUSEHOLDS BUYING FIREWOOD OR CHARCOAL (2005)
BUY FUEL DON’T BUY TOTAL
Rural 37.5% 62.5% 100.0%
Urban 70.9% 29.1% 100.0%
TOTAL 51.3% 48.7% 100.0%
A detailed analysis of the fuel expenses data available in the GLSS5 provides
strong evidence that urban households have a higher economic incentive to
adopt more modern and more efficient cooking solutions than rural households
28
Mapping of the 7 SegmentsHigh Purchasing Power
Low Economic Incentive
Low Purchasing Power
9.4%
10.5%
20.7%5.7%
18.5%
7.6%
MI Urban Charcoal
HI Urban Charcoal
LI Rural Wood
HI Rural Wood
MI Rural Wood
LI Urban Charcoal
5.3%
HI Urban LPG
High Economic Incentive
Secondary Target« HI-MI Rural Wood »
29% of the market
Primary Target« HI-MI Urban Charcoal »
17 % of the market
Early Adopters
29
Summary of Key Findings
The new segmentation based on main fuel, income and locality shows that:
Our primary target of high and middle income urban charcoal users represented a
significant 17% of the market in 2005. Low income urban charcoal users only accounted for
5.7% of the market and should be considered as a separate, more challenging segment, due to
their low purchasing power.
There is a very large segment of high income and middle income rural firewood users
(29% of the market) that represents an interesting secondary target. Firewood was still the
main fuel used by 54% of quintile 4 households and 41% of quintile 5 households in 2005. While
their economic incentives are likely lower, they may be sensitive to benefits other than savings
(comfort, cleanliness, status…).This population thus seems worth exploring further.
While the use of LPG is lower overall, it is high within the high income, urban population. It
may thus be relevant to speak with LPG users in one region in order to understand what
has converted them in order to develop a relevant strategy for expansion.
30
Refining by Geographic Area
31
Overiew of Charcoal Prices by Region The regional availability and price of biomass fuel should be taken into account when selecting
geographies for research. An understanding of key regions can help clean cookstove and fuel
promoters to focus their efforts on the areas with the highest economic incentive to switch to
more modern stoves and/or fuels.
To this end, it is useful to look at recent trends in charcoal prices by region:
Average Charcoal Retail Prices by Region *
Highest incentive to shift to more efficient cooking technologies (> 1 Ghc above mean)
*Source: Ghana Energy Commission (2012). Energy Statistics 2012, p. 29.
Region 2011 2012
Greater Accra 13.13 15.01
Ashanti 6.09 8.68
Western 10.37 13.6
Eastern 7 11.69
Central 11.41 13.95
Volta 10.36 13.73
Brong Ahafo 4.75 6.2
Northern 9.42 7.52
Upper East 5.11 11.96
Upper West 5.11 8.28
Country Average 8.83 11.04
(prices in Ghana Cedis per Mini-Bag of ± 30 kg)
32
Geography and Charcoal Prices
HIGH HIGH
AVERAGELOW
LOW AVERAGE
Retail prices of charcoal in the Central, Western, Greater Accra and Volta regions suggest that
urban charcoal users have the highest incentive to switch to clean cooking in these regions.
The map below classifies regions according to charcoal prices. Regions where the retail price
of mini-bags is more than 1 Ghana cedi above the mean are classified as “high”. Regions where
the retail price of mini-bags is more than 1 Ghana cedi below the mean are identified as “low”.
33
Mapping of the HI-MI Urban Charcoal Segment by RegionLarge Population Size
Low CostOf Charcoal
Small Population Size
9.5%(98,500)
23.9%(248,000)
5.9%(61,000)
26.9%(279,000)
Greater Accra Ashanti
Central
Volta
10.3%(107,000)
Eastern
High CostOf Charcoal
High Potential
46 % of the segment
( # households)
9.6%(99,500)
Western
8.3%(86,000)
Brong Ahafo
1.1%(11,500)
Upper West
1.6%(16,500)
Upper East
3.1%(32,000)
Northern
34
Key Regions for HI-MI Urban Charcoal Users
Based on regional charcoal prices and population size, the regions where the market potential is
highest for High and Middle Income Urban Charcoal users are Greater Accra, along with the
Western and Central regions. Together, these account for 46% of the households in this segment,
or 480,000 households in 2005.
Region Population Share of Segment Fuel Prices Market Potential
Greater Accra High 26.90% High High
Ashanti High 23.90% Low Medium
Eastern Medium 10.30% Medium Medium
Western Medium 9.60% High High
Central Medium 9.50% High High
Brong Ahafo Medium 8.30% Low Low
Volta Low 5.90% High Medium
Northern Low 3.10% Low Low
Upper East Low 1.60% Medium Low
Upper West Low 1.10% Low Low
If we add population size to the other criteria, the less populated Volta region drops off
35
Selecting Target Regions for HI and MI Rural Wood Users
Due to a lack of data on the price of firewood and to the fact that firewood can
be freely collected in several areas, the analysis relies on data describing
forest coverage in order to assess fuel related incentives to switch to more
efficient technologies. The underlying assumption is that households have a
higher incentive to switch to fuel efficient cookstoves or alternative fuels in
areas where biomass is relatively scarce either because collecting firewood
takes longer or because they have to purchase their wood.
36
Geography and Availability of Firewood
Biomass Map of Ghana 2008/2009*
*Source: www.forest-trends.org
Map based on a combination of
field measurements and satellite
data. It displays the density of
above-ground biomass (AGB) in
Megagrams per hectar. Regions
where all or most of the territory
is above 100 Mg/ha are classifed
as “high density”. Regions where
all the territory is below 100 Mg/ha
are classified as “low density”.
Regions which host significant
areas below 100 Mg/ha and also
have large reserves of forest
areas above 100 Mg/ha are
classified as “mixed”:
Low
Density
Low
Density
Mixed
High
Density
Mixed
The density of wood across the country points to the Northern region as the most
relevant areas for this secondary target.
37
13.2%(233,500)
Western
18.1%(320,000)
Ashanti
Mapping of the HI-MI Rural Wood User Segment Large Population Size
High BiomassDensity
Small Population Size
11.8%(209,500)
Central
9.6%(170,000)
Northern
2.2%(38,000)
Greater Accra
Low BiomassDensity
( # households)
3.7%(66,000)
Upper East
2%(36,000)
Upper West
12%(213,000)
Volta
15.4%(272,500)
Eastern
11.9%(210,000)
Brong Ahafo
High Potential
43 % of the segment
38
Key Regions for HI-MI Rural Wood Users
Based on biomass density and population size, the regions where the market
potential is highest for High and Middle Income Rural Wood users are Ashanti,
Eastern and the Northern region. Together, these account for 43% of the households
in this segment, or more than 760,000 households in 2005.
Region Population Share of Segment Biomass Market Potential
Greater Accra Low 2.2% Scarce Low
Ashanti High 18.1% Mixed High
Eastern High 15.4% Mixed High
Western Medium 13.2% Dense Low
Central Medium 11.8% Dense Low
Brong Ahafo Medium 11.9% Mixed Medium
Volta Medium 12% Mixed Medium
Northern Medium 9.6% Scarce High
Upper East Low 3.7% Scarce Low
Upper West Low 2% Scarce Low
39
Conclusions and Recommendations
40
Target Segments The consumer segmentation developed in this report has highlighted two key segments that
clean and efficient cooking technology promoters can target:
1. HI-MI Urban Charcoal : High and middle income urban charcoal users are the households
for whom the potential for clean cookstoves and fuel adoption is highest due to their
purchasing power and the fact that they are facing high cooking fuel prices. They account
for 17% of the market, roughly 1.04 million households.
2. HI-MI Rural Wood: High and middle income rural wood users also represent a significant
opportunity for marketers of clean cooking solutions. Although, the cost of fuel is a less of
an issue for them, their purchasing power enables them to invest in modern home
appliances. In areas where wood is becoming harder to collect in particular, they might
have an additional incentive to consider clean and efficient cookstoves. In addition, they
may be sensitive to other incentives such as convenience, cleanliness or speed-of-use.
This segment represents 29% of the market or 1.8 million households.
In addition to these two segments, it will be useful to interview High Income Urban LPG users to
assess the motivations which led them to switch to this fuel and the barriers that they are
facing. Improved Cookstove users (Gyapa-type) could also be included in the sample with the
same objective in mind.
41
Geographic Focus
Refining the segmentation by geographic area pointed to strategic target regions within each
segment:
HI-MI Urban Charcoal: Greater Accra, and the Western and Central regions were identified
as the most promising areas for the promotion of clean cooking solutions among high and
middle income urban charcoal users due to their population size and to the price of
charcoal in these regions. Together, the three regions represent 46% of the HI-MI segment,
or a total of 480,000 households (based on 2005 data).
HI-MI Rural Wood: The Northern region along with Ashanti and Eastern regions offer the
best perspective for clean cookstove uptake because they host relatively large high and
middle income rural populations and the density of biomass suggests that there is less
wood available for collection in these regions than in other populated regions such as the
Western and Central regions. This creates a higher incentive to adopt more efficient
cooking technologies or alternative fuels. The three regions represent 43% of the segment
or 760,000 households (based on 2005 data).
42
Robustness Check
Please note that the results of the 2010 Population and Housing Census have been used to
check the robustness of the segments defined with the GLSS 5 data. The Census shows that in
2010:
o 40% of all households still used wood as their main fuel for cooking (a 17.5% decrease compared to
GLSS 5).
o Charcoal was the main fuel for 33.7% of households (compared to 30% in GLSS 5).
o The share of households who used LPG as main fuel had reached 18.2% (it was only 9% in GLSS 5).
The significant increase in the share of LPG users and the simultaneous decrease in wood
usage suggest that the current size of the HI-MI rural wood segment is likely to be overestimated
in the segmentation developed from the GLSS 5 data. The size of the LPG segments is also
most probably underestimated. On the other hand, the size of the charcoal segments, the key
target identified in this report, is probably still close to what it was in 2005. There is of course a
high likelihood that the share of high income households decreased among charcoal users as
some of them adopted LPG. Conversely, the share of low income charcoal users might have
increased as low income households abandoned wood for charcoal. We will only be able to
confirm or reject these hypotheses when the next wave of the GLSS is released in 2014.
Overall, however, the more recent data from the 2010 Population and Housing Census supports
the decision to select middle and high-income urban charcoal users as a key target group for
further research.
43
Recruitment criteria
In addition to the segments, we will want to add other demographic criteria for recruitment.
Although the data does not specify, we have assumed the following :
Women do most of the cooking and have a significant say in the type of stove used
The greatest need for clean cookstoves is amongst larger families (greater costs and health
risks associated with current cooking methods)
We will want to speak to people who are familiar with the concept of financing so as to be able
to evaluate the relevance of certain financing options
NB: We will test these hypotheses with experts
44
Tentative Recruitment Criteria –
HI-MI Urban Charcoal Women aged 16-45
Income quintile 4 or 5
Live in an urban area of the target region
Main cook in the household/Cook on a
daily basis
Household size: 4 to 6
With kids at home
50% have a savings account (to help
assess financial services ideas)
Use a LPG stove or a Gyapa style stove
on a weekly basis (for charcoal with ICS
or LPG target)
Don’t currently use a LPG stove or a
Gyapa style stove (for charcoal
traditional target)
Women aged 16-45
Income quintile 4 or 5
Live in a rural area of the target region
Main cook in the household/Cook on a
daily basis
Household size: 4 to 6
With kids at home
50% have a savings account (to help
assess financial services ideas)
Tentative Recruitment Criteria –
HI-MI Rural Wood
45
Phase II: Qualitative Research & In-Field
Testing
46
Contents – Phase II: Qualitative Research & In-Field Testing
Exploration of Current Cooking Habits
Product Testing and Evaluation
Financial Services
Communication and Distribution Channels
Overview of Current Fuel and Stove Preferences
47
Objectives of the Ethnographic Exploration/In-Field Testing Phase
Key Research Objective:
To better understand the needs of users and to reveal the market triggers that can facilitate large-scale and sustained uptake of clean cooking technologies.
Detailed Research Objectives:
1. To identify the key technology features that increase the likelihood of adoption and potentially recommend design alterations to existing cookstoves.
2. To identify any potential cultural or psychological barriers to adoption of clean cookstoves and fuel (including willingness to pay) and recommend strategies to address them.
3. To assess the potential of a range of business models to reach the targeted segments, with a focus on distribution channels and payment schemes.
4. To test marketing messages and identify communication concepts that will drive demand.
48
Deliverables
The Ethnographic Exploration and In-Field Testing Phase should lead to recommendations on:
Main clean cookstove/fuel adoption drivers to be activated in Ghana .
Main ICS adoption barriers to address and strategies to remove them.
A selection of products with highest market potential and recommendations for improvement of other products.
A selection of 3-4 powerful marketing messages to disseminate and recommendation on the best channels to activate them.
An evaluation of the potential of a range of 3-4 payment plans/financial services.
An assessment of the most effective distribution channels on which the Alliance should focus its efforts.
49
Methodology: Overview
Segment HI-MI Urban Charcoal HI-MI Rural Wood
Ethnographic Interviews
12 * 3 hour
Individual
3 charcoal traditional
3 charcoal with ICS
2 charcoal + LPG
4 wood traditional
Focus Groups
6 * 4 hour
7 to 8 participants
2 FG charcoal traditional only
2 FG charcoal with ICS
2 FG wood traditional
The research approach combined in-home ethnographic interviews during meal
preparation and live-testing of products through focus group sessions
50
Who Did We Talk To?
The fieldwork focused on three key targets: Urban Charcoal Traditional stove users,
Urban Charcoal ICS stove users, and Rural Wood Traditional stove users.
Urban Charcoal ICSUrban Charcoal Traditional Rural Wood Traditional
Use wood as their main fuel
Purchase their wood
Live in a rural area
Monthly household income > 270
GHc
Use charcoal as their main fuel
Don’t currently use a Gyapa/ICS
Live in an urban area
Monthly household income > 350
GHc in Accra and >290 GHc in
Takoradi
Use charcoal as their main fuel
Use Gyapa/ICS daily
Live in an urban area
Monthly household income > 350
GHc in Accra and >290 GHc in
Takoradi
Other recruitment criteria: 4 to 6 member households, women are the main cooks in their household and must have at
least one child below 14 years of age in their household.
51
Methodology: Ethnographic Interviews
3 hour ethnographic interviews during meal preparation:
A deep-dive into the daily lives of the target women
Added Value qualitative research experts visited sample households during meal preparation, spent time in their homes observing their cooking habits and probing relevant topics:
Researchers watched respondents prepare a meal.
They enquired about and observed cooking methods and recipes.
They visited the respondents homes and assessed their current level of access to new technologies, home appliances, etc.
They took pictures of stoves, pots, ingredients, cooking environment.
In some cases they observed mealtime.
52
Methodology: Focus Groups
6*4 hour focus groups with cooking workshop:
A live observation of innovative cookstoves/fuel usage
In this phase the project team tested sample cookstoves, fuels, and marketing messages to refine their understanding of the needs of the 3 priority segments and to assess the potential of new product offers and marketing mixes to increase the uptake of clean cooking technologies in these segments. The focus group flow was as follows:
Initial discussion of cookstove and fuel preferences
Presentation of sample products and visual assessment with participants
Group preparation of a typical recipe: each participant got to use one sample product
Feedback and comparative assessment of technologies after testing
Exposure to marketing messages presented on boards and read out loud to participants (to avoid bias from visual execution)
53
Where Did We Go?
Takoradi
1 * Charcoal Traditional FG
1 * Charcoal ICS FG
2 * Charcoal Traditional Ethno
1 * Charcoal ICS Ethno
1 * LPG Ethno
Ashanti
(Bokankye area)
2 * Wood Traditional FG
4 * Wood Traditional Ethno Accra
1 * Charcoal Traditional FG
1 * Charcoal ICS FG
1 * Charcoal Traditional Ethno
2 * Charcoal ICS Ethno
1 * LPG Ethno
The fieldwork with urban targets was conducted in Accra and Takoradi. The fieldwork
with rural targets was conducted in a locality called Bokankye, oustide of Kumasi
Exploration of Current Cooking Habits
55
Daily Life Environment: HousingParticipants lived in compound houses or two story buildings, divided in several
apartments rented either by relatives or by people with whom they have no kinship links.
Most participants live in ‘chamber and hall’ apartments.
Each door corresponds to a different one bedroom
apartment. Children often sleep on a mattress in the living
room.The courtyard and facilities such as tap water are
often shared between different apartments.
56
Daily Life Environment: Home Equipments
Households are prepared to invest significant amounts of money in home
equipment while still using a traditional coal pot on a daily basis
The target households live in relatively modest one bedroom dwellings but invest a
lot in home furniture and equipment (especially in urban areas) :
couch, TV, Hi-Fi, DVD players, lap-top… even washing machines!
Living room, rural, Ashanti Living room, urban, TakoradiWashing machine, Accra
57
Daily Life Environment: Income Generation
Most/all the women we interviewed worked and generated
their own income. They were either employed or
conducting an income generating activity in the informal
sector. Few were housewives.
In the urban areas, all the women who were employed had
a small business alongside their main job to generate
extra income:
“I sell bed sheets and towels… I can add 200 Cedis to the monthly budget”
(Ethno, ICS, Takoradi) ;”I also cook pastries and pies to sell at the junction
when I have time” (Ethno, LPG, Takoradi)
They wake up very early (between 4 and 5 am) and cook
before they leave home to go to work or during weekends:
“Sometimes I cook lunch in the morning and bring to work”
(Ethno, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
Participant in uniform prior
to taking her duty as a
clerk at a fire station
The target women have to reconcile meal preparation with a very busy schedule
Saving time is a key priority !
58
Food Purchase
Food is usually purchased from big open air markets (rather than supermarkets)
Most of the time, the woman/wife is in charge of grocery shopping but if she has a partner, he will usually pay. This contribution is known as “chop money” or housekeeping money.
Most of the families we visited purchase food on a weekly/monthly basis and stock. This is particularly true in urban areas.
Some households had a strategy to buy food in very large quantities in order to achieve economies of scale. In this situation, the man could also be involved in purchasing food from the market (and driving it back home).
“My husband, he goes to the market and buys food… because he is a man, definitely, they will cheat him but he will not admit it !”
(Ethno, chacoal traditional, Accra)
In urban areas: Several households had two fridges or a fridge and a large chest freezer to keep their stock of food.
Men typically provide the money for food purchase, the “chop money”
Fridge n°1
Fridge n°2
Frozen food is playing an increasingly important role
for Ghanaian women
59
Management of Cooking Tasks
Either the wife or a younger woman in the family will cook (older women
also help at times)
Urban women cook proper meals in large quantities 3 or 4 times a
week and then stock in their fridge or freezer for the rest of the
week/month. Meat, fish, cassava are often stored in the freezer.
Several of them used a microwave or gas to warm their frozen food in
the morning for their husbands or their children’s lunch:
“I warm up light soup, groundnut soup or green soup that I have prepared during
the weekend” (Ethno, ICS, Takoradi) ; It’s a dish that I am cooking mostly on
weekends, on Saturdays. I am cooking for the whole week” (Ethno, trad, Takoradi)
Rural: women cook once or twice a day (evening or morning and
evening).
“Generally, I cook once, that is, in the evening but sometimes I do it twice: morning
and evening” (Ethno, wood traditional, Ashanti)
Women do all of the cooking. Frequency of preparation varies according to
circumstance.
“Microwave. I use it to heat
food… already cooked food”
(Ethno, charcoal trad. Accra)
“I grill tilapia with my microwave”
(Ethno, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
Urban target groups have a significant need for quick
heating solutions
60
Main Recipes: Overview
On average, women will take between 1-2 hours to prepare a full meal. Thus, based on the number of meals she is preparing daily, she will be spending between 1-3 hours per day preparing/cooking. Most urban women use a blender to speed up the process.
Lunch is the least cooked meal of the day. Working women will often purchase a lighter meal (rice, kenkey, gari) in the street for lunch. Children will sometimes get their food from a canteen at school.
A recipe is defined by the type of staple food cooked but always contains proteins: fresh meat or fish for a normal meal, dried fish or beef skin (wele) when money is short.
BREAKFAST SNACK/LIGHT MEAL FULL LUNCH OR DINNER
Milo Tea and breadKoko Tombrown Ampesi Kenkey
GariIndomie
BankuFufuRice (plain rice, jolof rice, rice balls )AmpesiKenkey
Most Ghanaian recipes are fairly complex and long to prepare as they almost always
incorporate a starch along with a stew or soup made of many ingredients
Most frequently mentioned recipes*
*See glossary in appendix.
The extensive preparation process involved in traditional Ghanaian recipes explains
why many urban women don’t cook everyday
61
Main Recipes: Drivers & Barriers
Women explain their preferences for or against the different meal choices as follows:
Fufu Banku Rice Kenkey Ampesi
Drivers Filling dish“In my condition, I
eat fufu a lot, otherwise I don’t
feel good” (Ethno, ICS,
Takoradi)
It’s economical“When it is
prepared and you are unable to finish it, it can be eaten the following day” (Ethno, charcoal
trad, Accra)
Kids like/request it“I like banku and ampesi but the
children prefer rice”(Ethno, LPG,
Takoradi)
Affordable and filling dish
Easy to prepare“Sometimes, I am very tired so I put
Ampesi on the fire. I buy plantain for 2
Ghana Cedis I grind pepper”
(Ethno, wood trad., Ashanti).
Barriers Requires a lot of effort to prepare
(pounding*)Doesn’t store
“You can’t keep fufu overnight as you
would banku”(Ethno, charcoal
trad., Accra)
Requires some effort to prepareNeed iron rods
Expensive, for occasions
Hard to prepare at home due to
steaming process –need to purchase
A basic meal
*: Pounding is usually done with a mortar and doesn’t affect the stove.
62
Variations in Cooking Habits
There are few seasonal variations in cooking habits or recipes.
Guests
Meals prepared for guests happens only exceptionally (a couple of times a year). Women will typically cook fufu, banku, or rice for their visitors:
“My husband brings some guests to the house; mainly his siblings… maybe once in the whole year”
(Ethno, wood traditional, Ashanti)
Special occasions
Include Christmas, weddings and funerals. Women will cook in larger quantities for these occasions
Christmas
Ghanaians will cook in large quantities and share food with friends, neighbors and relatives. Can receive guests but will also bring food to their acquaintances.
Common meals: fufu, rice balls (Omutuo)
“Yes, Christmas is special to me so I slaughter a cock and cook rice, Fufu or rice balls for my family and friends, but then, I diversify my foods a lot” (Ethno, rural).
The cooking regime of Ghanaian women is consistent throughout the year
63
Main Areas of Satisfaction and Dissatisfaction
Cooking has both functional (health) and emotional (conviviality) benefits
Appreciation from loved ones“I love it when my family eats the food I cooked”
(FG, ICS, Accra)
Heath benefits“I love food. I like the nutrients that are in the ingredients”
(FG, ICS, Accra)
Savings“When you buy cooked food, you don’t get enough for
your money, but if you can cook, you can manage
your money and get enough for your money”
(FG, ICS, Accra)
A waste of time“When I am cooking, I want it to be fast” (FG, ICS,
Accra) ; “I will buy the stove that can help me cook
fast” (Ethno, urban, trad, Accra) ; “You waste time
on cooking your things” (FG, ICS, Accra)
A stressful activity“It’s stressful” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra) ; “You have to
start the fire” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
The dirt
(blackened pots, ashes, smoke)
“It gets your kitchen dirty” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Key improvements that can drive women towards new cooking technologies include:
time saving, easier lighting and fire regulation process, cleaner technologies, as well
as better preservation of nutrients
64
Food Influences
Husbands sometimes limit the budget but don’t have a strong influence on what to cook
Food related behaviours are heavily influenced by children and by advice received
from nurses/doctors (especially during pregnancy/weighing of new borns)
Women select the food their children
prefer/request in order to avoid conflict
and to make sure that they eat well and
stay in good health
“My children influence the food I prepare mainly at
home. I listen to them because I want to be sure they
eat their food well” (Ethno, wood, Ashanti) ;
“It may be the choice of the children” (Ethno, wood,
Ashanti).
The women we interviewed had received a
lot of health related training through the
hospital/health centers and followed
whatever advice they received
“We are taught this at the hospital by the health
personnel” (Ethno, wood, Ashanti) ; “Sometimes,
the doctors inform me. They will educate me. They
advised me to eat liver” (Ethno, charcoal traditional,
Accra)
HEALTH PROFESSIONALSHEALTH PROFESSIONALSHEALTH PROFESSIONALSHEALTH PROFESSIONALSCHILDREN
65
Food Priorities (1/2)
Ghanaian women are very conscious of the nutritional content of the food they feed to
their children. They are familiar with concepts such as food balance (urban). Providing
proteins to their children is a major concern (urban and rural).
“It should be a balanced diet. It should be comprised of protein, carbohydrate -. Um-hum. And, and all the
others. [LAUGHING]” (Ethno, ICS, Takoradi) ; “A balanced diet? You eat proteins, you have to add
vegetables, fruits and cereals” (Ethno, charcoal traditional, Accra) ; “The small garden eggs and the
kontombre contain a lot of nutrients which boost the blood level” (Ethno, wood traditional, Ashanti).
Their food/nutrition education has largely been received through health
centers/hospitals:
“We are at times advised in hospitals that fish is best for our health. They provide protein for the bodies and
are essential for children to grow well. There are also health programs on both television and radio that
focuses on eating healthy” (Ethno, wood traditional rural).
Nutrition is the by far the most important declared priority when
choosing what to feed the family
66
Food Priorities (2/2)
Food advertising is also heavily focused on health and nutrition
Clean cookstoves could be promoted jointly with products
which provide/preserve nutrients
Food billboards on the
streets of Takoradi
(January 2014)
67
Food Priorities
The most common processed food consumed is Indomie (Chinese noodles) which
their children like a lot. Other processed foods include Milo and Maggi or Onga.
Most use processed foods but they don’t consider them “processed” per se
“Onga makes the soup delicious
and tastier”
(Ethno, wood traditional, Ashanti)
“The children like to eat Indomie. I
prepare it 4 or 5 times a week”
(Ethno, charcoal trad, Accra)
“Because of the baby, they advised
us to take Milo so we could get
more breast milk”
(Ethno, charcoal traditional, Accra)
68
The Kitchen (1/2)
Due to the lack of space and ventilation in their kitchen, many women go back and
forth between the kitchen and the courtyard most of the time
“Like the charcoal, I come out to set the fire and if I don’t want it to finish fast fast, I take it inside” (Ethno,
charcoal traditional, Accra) ; “Sometimes I smoke fish. So the smoke that will come out, I don’t want it
to be here so I put it outside” (Ethno, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
The kitchen is often a fairly narrow space adjacent to the main room: it is more of a
storage space than somewhere one has pleasure to cook
69
The Kitchen (2/2)
Urban households are prepared to invest a lot of money in electric equipment for their
kitchen: 150 GHc for a new microwave ; 780 GHc for a brand new fridge/freezer
The kitchens of urban respondents are small but very well equipped: all of them had
at least one fridge and a blender
70
Overview of a Full Meal Preparation Process
The meal preparation process involves a lot of moving around : the sketch and the pictures below
illustrate the preparation of a palava soup and all the associated movements from the cook
1) Stoves and fuel are taken from collective kitchen to courtyard ; 2)
Water is fetched at the back of courtyard ; 3) Ingredients are taken from
fridge (in respondent’s apartment) to courtyard.
4) Ingredients are chopped on a small table in courtyard ; 5) Blending
takes place in brother’s apartment where there is a plug available; 6)
Cooking occurs in the courtyard.
1 2 3
4 5 6
71
Mobility in the Kitchen
Women don’t always cook in their kitchen. They are used to moving their stoves and
cooking utensils to different places depending on the weather, the need to watch
kids, the opportunity to discuss with neighbors…
Itinerary of Gyapa stove in the same afternoon
Stirring banku in the shade Boiling water in front of the kitchen Waiting to be stored with other utensils
Women want equipment that can be easily transferred from one place to another:
“ I want one that is transferable, a lightweight” (Ethno, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “Not too big. I want a very portable kitchen
with everything…” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
Gas users will use their gas stove to heat up food or boil rice but usually prefer their portable coal pot for
longer recipes: not only because it’s less expensive to use but also because they can sit next to it, move
it to a different area during the preparation process, etc.
Mobility is a very important criterion for cooking equipment
72
Kitchen Improvements (1/2)
The kitchen cabinet has very strong emotional benefits
related to status…
“Those days have passed where utensils were kept in the rooms. You
take them to the kitchen so that the living room can be spacious for your
chairs and tv so that there will be room for kids to sleep there”
(FG, wood, Ashanti)
…it also provides concrete functional benefits and makes
cooking less stressful:
“when you have a proper cabinet, you know where the things are. You
don’t need to move a lot of things to access your utensils” (FG, charcoal
ICS, Accra) ; “As for me, I had planned that one day when I build my
own house, I will build shelves for the kitchen and arrange my utensils
and ice chest” (FG, wood, Ashanti)
Other similar improvements include tiles on the wall (all)
and cementing the floor (rural only):
“I would like tiles on the walls from the top to the floor”
(FG, charcoal ICS, Accra)
The most desired kitchen improvement isn’t a cooking utensil as such:
all women want a nice kitchen cabinet
73
Kitchen Improvements (2/2)
The coal pot (traditional or Gyapa) is always part of the ideal kitchen, something you can’t do
without. Having a Gyapa rather than a coal pot isn’t mentioned as a priority by traditional targets.
“A coalpot for the things that will take longer to prepare so that’s less expensive” (FG, charcoal traditional, Takoradi) ;
“Because that one you can use for everything. I really need it” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Ghanaian women are also very receptive to and enthusiastic
about new technologies in the kitchen:
An oven (the most often mentioned
throughout) “an oven… electric or gas” (FG,
ICS, Takoradi)
An LPG stove: “A gas stove… I want to cook
fast” (FG, ICS, Accra) ;
Fridge/freezer: “I would also get a table top
fridge for the kitchen” (FG, trad, Ashanti)
Microwave (urban): “With the microwave you
can warm your food quickly” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
HEALTH PROFESSIONALSSECONDARY EQUIPMENTPRIORITY EQUIPMENT
Rice cooker
Blender (most already have one)
All would like to bake: products offering this kind of functionality have a higher
likelihood of being adopted
“I want this new technology that they have introduced. It’s called the “halogen oven”, you can do everything with it: microwaving, grilling…” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
74
Summary of Key Findings
The target households live in relatively modest one or two bed-room apartments. However they
invest a lot in equipment to furnish their home, including the kitchen.
Amongst married couples, the wife is the main cook and is also the main person in charge of
grocery shopping. Most women have at least one professional occupation or income-generating
activity and develop strategies to save time on cooking tasks. Technologies which can help them
manage their time are in high demand (microwave, LPG).
Food habits and food priorities are heavily influenced by the children’s needs and requests. A lot of
attention is paid to the nutritional content of the food which is served to them (proteins, vitamins).
This is reflected in local advertising messaging. Health professionals have frequent access to
women and successfully educate them about healthy food behaviours. They could be a powerful
channel to communicate messages about clean cooking solutions.
Women’s cooking behaviours underline the need for mobility and for better usage of space.
Products which enhance their interior and make a statement about their social status are also in
high demand (kitchen cabinet). Priorities for kitchen equipment focus on storage capacity (fridge,
freezer), time-saving (microwave, LPG) and diversification of recipes (oven for baking).
Overall, improved cookstoves are largely within the financial reach of the target, but replacing one’s
coal pot is likely to be quite low in their list of priorities compared to the acquisition of a
microwave, a freezer or a blender.
75
Overview of Current Fuel and Stove
Preferences
76
Fuels
Burning firewood produces charcoal which can
then be used in a coal pot:
“What I like about it is that, after you have finished your cooking on the stove, you will get charcoal out of it from the
left over…so it is long lasting” (FG, wood, Ashanti)
Pretty much all households have a coal pot in addition to their 3-stone stove:
“I use the stove in addition to the furnace to help speed up my chores”; “When it is raining, I use my stove”
(Ethno, wood, Ashanti)
Wood users are attracted to other fuels but don’t
envision giving up their 3-stone fire:
“However, I will still maintain the firewood stove at the back yard so that one day when you are in a hurry, you can use it”
(FG, trad, Ashanti)
There is a lot of mixing of fuel types !
Pretty much everyone uses at least two fuel types on a regular basis.
All women are familiar with wood, charcoal, LPG and kerosene (kerosene stoves). How they
mix and what they choose as main and back-up fuel depends on their income, tastes and on
the local availability of fuel (especially for LPG)
TYPICAL RURAL FUEL MIX
Wood and charcoalTYPICAL URBAN FUEL MIX
Charcoal and LPG
LPG users have to resort to charcoal because
LPG is sometimes hard to find or problematic for the
preparation of specific recipes
“Gas is very hard to find now. Gyapa, you buy your bag and it
lasts 2 months” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Many charcoal users have an LPG stove to help
them when time is short (or simply to show that they
can afford it):
“If it is not here, people might think I can’t buy one but if it is
here, then they know I can buy one”
(Ethno, charcoal trad, Accra)
In addition to charcoal and LPG, many also use
electricity for their microwave or their rice-cooker
(although this is not seen as a fuel as such).
77
Wood: Spontaneous Associations
The typical user is “a villager”
Wood is seen as a fuel used by poor people in remote/backward areas
“If your child becomes wealthy or has attained some level of wealth, he/she can move you from this level to use the gas or
charcoal” (FG, trad, Ashanti)
Many urban women have never cooked with wood
Collecting and using wood is becoming increasingly difficult
Some landlords forbid the use of firewood in collective housing. Most wood users have been
arrested for collecting wood and now buy their wood
“Sometimes too, people complain and ask questions when they see you using it” (FG, wood, Ashanti) ; “; “When they arrested
us, we were jailed since morning till evening before they released us. Our father came to bail us with Six Hundred Thousand
Cedis [60 New Cedis] (FG, wood, Ashanti)
Wood has negative connotations as a fuel
78
Wood: Drivers and Barriers
Wood is affordable but involves a lot of drawbacks: it is the last resort fuel
Affordable: Wood is the cheapest cooking fuel“It is cheaper than charcoal and can be easily gotten
too” (Ethno, wood, Ashanti)
Fast: Once lit, wood cooks the food quickly“It is fast in cooking; one has to fan charcoal for it to
catch fire but with firewood, no.” (Ethno, wood, Ashanti)
; “Put food on coal pot and firewood, you will realize that
the food on the firewood will be cooked before the coal
pot” (FG, wood, Ashanti)
Long and fastidious lighting process:“When our neighbors are cooking, I would only get some amber
to start mine; else it becomes difficult since I have to break
a wood into small pieces to serve as conductor” (Ethno,
wood, Ashanti).
Fire control: requires constant attention“You must always watch to keep pushing the fire inside”
(FG, ICS, Accra)
Dirty: Firewood blackens the pots and the walls“At times it gets dirty and black” (Ethno, wood, Ashanti)
Smell: clothes reek of wood smoke after use
“all your body is smelling” (FG, ICS, Accra)
A lot of burns from using firewood: in rural areas“When you slip and your leg catches fire, you get burnt” ;
“We even have scars from the burns” (FG,wood, Ashanti)
Smoke/health: A concern but not for all women“Some women fear the smoke. I am not scared at all, I am used
to it” (Ethno, rural) ; “I don’t really like the use of the
firewood because of the smoke; by the time you are
through, your eyes will be hurting” (FG, trad, Ashanti)
79
Wood: Consumption and Prices
The wood is often bought per bundle of 4 or 5 GHc
A bundle will typically last for 5 to 6 days.
Wood is most often purchased from door-to-door
vendors who visit the house regularly
The wood stock is stored outside, sometimes under a
tarpon in case of rain
“I buy 4 GHc. I use that for about one week” (Ethno, wood, Ashanti)
“I buy them from the forest which costs 20 GHc and I use it for 1 month”
(Ethno, wood, Ashanti).
Most of the rural target households declare that they spend
between 20 and 30 GHc per month on wood
“After today and tomorrow it will surely
get finished” (Ethno, wood, Ashanti)
80
Charcoal: Spontaneous Associations
The typical user is “the average Ghanaian”
The poor use it because: “50 cents can buy charcoal” (FG, ICS, Accra)
But the rich also use it in case of fuel shortage, to prepare recipes that can’t be prepared on LPG
stoves, in case of LPG shortage, or simply because they like it !
“My auntie is very rich and she is still using charcoal” (FG, trad, Takoradi) ; “Some rich people they still use
it to cook banku” (FG, trad, Takoradi) ; “The rich will use it but it’s not their main fuel” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Charcoal may not be the main fuel for the majority of the population, but it’s the only fuel that is
used by pretty much everyone from the top to the bottom of the social ladder…
“All the people, rich and poor !” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
Charcoal is the most widespread fuel throughout Ghana, everyone uses it at least
occasionally from the wealthy family in downtown Accra to the farmer in the village
81
Charcoal: Drivers and Barriers
Women see charcoal as a convenient and affordable fuel. It has several downsides
Easy to use: Needs less attention than LPG or
wood. Can be left unattended.
“It’s easy to handle” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
Less smoky than wood: can be used inside
“The banku sometimes I prepare it inside”
(Ethno, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
Easier to secure than LPG: available at your
doorstep.
“I send my daughter. It can take less than 5 minutes”
(Ethno, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
Affordable/economical: considered less
expensive than LPG
“The price is very moderate compared to LPG” (FG,
ICS, Accra) ; “you can reuse it” (FG, trad, Takoradi)
Safe: no risk of explosion, and low risk of
serious burns (compared to wood)
“It’s safe to cook with” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
Lighting: hard or wet charcoal can be hard to
light but it won’t go off once lit (as opposed to wood)
“Some of the charcoal can’t light. Sometimes I get angry and
I go back to my firewood” (Ethno, wood, Ashanti) ;
“Sometimes it’s very annoying to cook with” (FG, ICS, Accra)
Sparks: when being fanned, the charcoal
sometimes sparks which can be inconvenient
“The hard one comes out [about the sparks]”
(FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
Dirty: charcoal doesn’t blacken the pots but it
leaves ashes on the kitchen’s floor
“It enters into your fingers when you put it in the coalpot” (FG,
ICS, Accra) ; “It gets your kitchen dirty” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
82
Charcoal: Consumption and Prices
While many of participants bought their food in large quantities, there wasn’t
a systematic strategy of buying charcoal in large bags. Many women preferred
to purchase their charcoal on-the-go from small retailers in their neighborhood:
“Formerly I used to buy the bag of charcoal for 15 Ghana Cedis but now I buy the retail for
50 Pesewas” (Ethno, wood, Ashanti) (sack would last for two weeks)
The 50 Pesewas bag of charcoal can be found everywhere and is the
standard unit on which charcoal retails
For an average size household (4 to 6 members) the monthly consumption
could be anywhere between a few 50 Pesewas bags and 2 large sacks per
month:
“Charcoal I spend one bag for two months” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi) ; “My bag will last
for two months (Ethno, wood, Ashanti)
The corresponding expenditure varies from less than 10 GHc per month to
up to 60 GHc per month for those who use charcoal daily and purchase in
retail format:
“I spend roughly 60 Cedis per month on charcoal” (Ethno, charcoal ICS, Takoradi) – family
of 6 ; “For a day, I buy 2 GHc of charcoal. 14 GHc per week” (Ethno, charcoal trad.,
Takoradi) – family of 2
Charcoal consumption varies significantly depending on the frequency of meal
preparation, on the type of stove used and on fuel mixing
Large bag of charcoal
50 Pesewas bags of
charcoal (2 units)
83
LPG: Spontaneous Associations
The typical user is “the urban petty bourgeois”
LPG is mostly associated with wealthy users, employed people
“The rich will use it because they can fill several cylinders at a time in case of shortage” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi) ; “I take
my car to fill my bottle” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi) ; “I see that people who can afford it are those that use it, like those with
occupations” (FG, wood, Ashanti)
Many people have LPG but don’t actually use it due to high prices, fuel scarcity or safety. However,
they will keep their stove even in cases where it is out of order, for reasons related to prestige
“It is prestigious to have that and if someone enters your kitchen and sees that, it makes you feel valued. It also helps to
decorate your kitchen” (FG, wood, Ashanti)
LPG adoption is very status driven
84
LPG: Drivers and Barriers
LPG is a revolution in terms of speed and ease-of-use. But its adoption is slowed by
significant safety issues and frequent shortages
Fast(est) fuel: Can heat food quickly. Most
LPG stoves have more than one burner.
“It’s fast when using it and makes cooking sometimes
easier” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ;
Convenient: easy to light and regulate
“Very easy to operate. It gives me maximum relief,
especially when I get late with cooking”
(Ethno, wood, Ashanti).
Clean: smokeless, scentless, dustless
“It makes the kitchen environment clean” (FG, charcoal
trad, Accra) ; “It’s neat, it makes your kitchen neat” (FG,
charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
Can be used for baking“With the oven I will use it to bake cake, and so forth”
(FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
DANGEROUS: Many are very afraid of it. See
specific section hereafter.
Hard to find: due to frequent shortages
“You can be looking for two weeks before you find some. It’s
hard to find” (FG, trad, Takoradi) ; “That’s why I stopped
using it” (FG, trad, Takoradi)
Expensive :
1. Filling a cylinder requires significant working capital.
2. No way to anticipate the need to refill (no meter)
3. Hard to check that stations sell fully refilled cylinders
“The last time I filled my bottle it only lasted two weeks. So I
went to the filling station and the guy said that this was ‘light
gas’!” (FG, ICS, Takoradi) ; “It’s expensive… Filling the
cylinder is 20 Cedis” (FG, trad, Takoradi) ; “it is finished but I
don’t have the money now” (FG, trad, Ashanti)
Can’t cook banku: except with the cylinder with
burner on top“I can’t use gas to cook Banku. It’s difficult for me. because
the burner will be burning you” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra).
85
LPG: Safety Issues
A very large number of respondents had directly witnessed fatal LPG
explosions:
“A friend’s maternal grandfather got burnt and died subsequently […] The LPG can
burn your children if you are not around” (Ethno, wood, Ashanti) ; “I have seen it near
my home. The person died” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra) ; “It burnt the three persons in
the room. The way their skin is now…” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
Accidents seemed to be caused both by the use of low-quality, badly
maintained stoves/cylinders and by a lack of sufficient training:
“My neighbor, his wife was trying to use gas… She didn’t notice that the regulator
was open…” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
The gas stoves we observed had often been purchased second hand
and were in very poor, very rusty condition. They seemed prone to
leakage.
Respondents also reported a lot of leakage issues with their cylinders
and resorted to their own creativity to solve them:
“I used OMO. I used the soapy water to. When you use it to rub the this thing. You'll
see the gas coming "fffoooo“ (Ethno, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
Safety concerns were by far the most significant barrier to LPG adoption. These
concerns were fuelled by real-life experiences of LPG explosions.
“The rats entered and chewed
something inside” (Ethno,
charcoal trad, Accra)
Stone used to prevent leakage
between the hose and the cylinder
A strong need to address safety problems in the value
chain before promoting LPG further
86
LPG: Consumption and Prices
LPG purchase is most often the responsibility of the husband
Most women don’t know the size/weight of their cylinder which suggests that they can’t accurately assess their consumption.
There is also some degree of uncertainty on the exact amount of fuel which is purchased when buying a refill from the station:
“When you go there, you want to fill it, you pay them. They fill it by - it doesn’t become full. So if you want it to be full, you have to pay additional money to the
ones filling the gas and he will make it full”
(Ethno, LPG, Accra)
Many households have spaced out their consumption due to shortages (especially in Takoradi)
“It’s very expensive just to find it” (FG, ICS, Accra)
A cylinder of 15kg used everyday will usually last one month for a family of 5 (Accra). Since most households mix LPG with other fuels, the typical refilling frequency will be significantly more than one month:
“If I buy the 15 kilos, I use it for 4 months” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
Most women declare that they pay between 36 and 39 GHc to refill a large domestic cylinder (13 to 15 kg):
“The refill costs 39 Cedis” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
Women find it difficult to monitor their LPG consumption
A 13kg cylinder
87
Kerosene: Drivers and Barriers
None of the respondents was still using kerosene at the time of the study but some
had used it in the past. It was seen as an obsolete fuel
Easy to light and regulate“When we were still using it, I liked the fact that it was
easy to light” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Expensive“These days a Coca-Cola bottle of kerosene is selling
for 2 cedis so if I compare this with charcoal, I
prefer to use charcoal. I don’t think it will prepare
my soup” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
Can affect food taste“Sometimes, if you are not careful, it can enter your
food” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra) ; “If you put some
on your hands and touch your food, you can’t eat
it!” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
Emits black smoke“The kerosene is very bad… It dirties your pots” (FG,
ICS, Takoradi) ; “The smoke that comes out of it is
very bad” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
The typical kerosene user is “a single person, a bachelor”
This fuel is easy to use and allowed in collective housing where charcoal is sometimes forbidden
“Students: they will use kerosene in stoves to cook those in the boarding houses and hostels” (FG, trad, Ashanti)
88
Summary of Fuel Drivers and Barriers
Wood Charcoal LPG Kerosene
Drivers • Affordable
• Fast in cooking (but hard to light)
• Can be left unattended
• Less smoky than wood: Can be used inside
• Easy to secure
• Still affordable
• Relatively safe
• Very fast in cooking
• Easy to light
• Smokeless, scentless
• Clean (no dust)
• Can be used for baking
• Easy lighting and fire regulation
Barriers • Long and fastidious lighting process
• Fire control requires constant attention
• Blackens pots and walls
• Smoke causing cough and eye itching: can’t be used inside
• Pervading smell
• Serious risk of burns
• Can be hard to light (although less than wood)
• Sparkles
• Dirties the kitchen
• Very dangerous
• Frequent shortages
• Working capital requirement
• Hard to monitor fuel consumption
•Low control on amount purchased
• Hard to cook banku with
• Expensive
• Can affect food taste
• Emits black smoke
89
Overview of Current Cookstove Offer
Wood Charcoal LPG
• 3-stone fire:
- Made of stones: three way or square
- Made of blocks
- Made of “irons”
• Clay stove
• Wood tire-rim
• Standard coal pot:
- Square
- Round
• Clay coal pot
• Charcoal tire-rim
• Bucket stove with clay
• Gyapa coal pot
• Charcoal oven
• Charcoal grill (kankra)
• Single-burner stove (camping set-up)
• Table-top stove: 1 to 4 burner
• 4 burner with oven
• Stand-alone LPG oven
• LPG tire-rim (professional)
Consumers are familiar with a broad range of cooking options for each fuel type
90
Wood Stoves (1/2)
There are several sub-types of 3-stone fires
3 stone fires are increasingly made of cinder blocks since the right type of stone is hard to secure
outside of the village. However, blocks are fragile and break frequently. The preferred alternative to
stones are irons since this is the most long-lasting material
“There are some big rocks that are stronger than the rest but you cannot get some around here unless in the typical village”
(FG, wood, Ashanti)
3 stone fires can be “three-way” or “one-way” (not observed)
“We have the rounded ones separated so that you can put the wood in from three different angles” (FG, wood, Ashanti) ; “We
also have flat ones where the stones are joined [ in a U shape] so that the wood will be in one direction” (FG, wood, Ashanti)
Rural women use a lot of creativity to optimize their 3-stone fire
Left: 3-stone fire
made of blocks
Right: 3-stone fire
made of iron parts
(and one stone)
91
Wood Stoves (2/2)There are currently only two well-known alternatives to the 3-stone fire
The woodstove market remains traditional and hasn’t seen any major recent evolution
“It is one car rim, supported with three iron rods as a
stand. So you put the wood under the rim in-between
the rods “ ; “You can use charcoal in the metal stove
when you don’t have firewood. So it uses two fuels“
(FG, wood, Ashanti)
The tire-rim stove(wasn’t observed)
The clay stove
“Because I use big pot for my kenkey, if I should use
the moulded ‘mukyia’, it can break” ; “You know after
you remove the firewood, you can put water in a light
silver and place it on it but it will still become hot”
(FG, wood, Ashanti)
The tire-rim stove is robust and can be used with both wood and charcoal. However it requires a
significant investment (respondents mentionned 40 GHc). The clay stove is affordable and has a good
thermal resilience but it breaks easily during use.
92
Charcoal Stoves (1/2)
Consumers can make their choice between two different shapes (round or square)
The type of alloy from which it is made (aluminium, cast iron) and the weight/thickness of the stove
will vary and affect its price
“The one with aluminium won’t rust” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
Users don’t really think that there is a lot of difference between the round and square shapes in
terms of usage, benefits, or price. The typical price of a standard-size coal pot is 15 GHc in Accra but
will vary according to the material
“The heavy one would cost 25 Cedis” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
The coal pot is an essential part of the kitchen but the market isn’t very segmented
93
Charcoal Stoves (2/2)
The Gyapa is seen as another kind of coal pot rather than a radically different product:
Challenge
The coalpot isn’t an impulse purchase. It is not a priority area of investment.
Women only think of replacing it if it is damaged. Creating a desire to anticipate the
next cookstove purchase will require disruptive innovations.
All participants had already heard of the Gyapa. It is often called the “Gyapa coal pot”
“Like a coalpot with clay inside” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
There is no significant difference in the typical user profile between the coal pot and the Gyapa:
“The poor use it and the high class also use it” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra) ; “Everybody can use it” (FG,
charcoal trad, Takoradi)
Be it traditional or Gyapa, the coal pot is something that a woman buys or receives as
a present and keeps as long as possible:
“[How long have you had the Gyapa?] When I got married. it’s almost three years now” (Ethno, charcaol
ICS, Takoradi) ; “It has been a long time (since I bought it) so I can’t remember; during those times, the
currency was different” (Ethno, charcoal trad, Accra)
94
Traditional Coal Pot: Drivers and Barriers
• Less fragile than the Gyapa:
“The coal pot is better because it will last longer” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “The coalpot is stronger”
(FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
• Portable: lightweight, handles
“you can carry it everywhere” (FG, ICS, Accra)
• Fast: for a charcoal stove
“To cook for many people I would use the coalpot because it’s faster, the air gets through” (FG, urban, tradi, Accra)
• Easy to light: good air draft
“The coal pot lights faster than the Gyapa”
(Ethno, urban, trad, Accra)
• Dirty: ashes spread outside of the stove
“And with the ashes… You see the way it is so it’s not like the other one when you just fan they all have to spread”
(Ethno, charcoal ICS, Accra).
• Not stable: makes banku preparation challenging
“It doesn’t have a stable position” (FG, ICS, Accra)
• No insulation: can burn someone while in use
“You can burn your hands” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
• Sharp edges (square version): risk of scratching one’s leg, tearing clothes, pot can tip off
“The edges are very sharp. You can scratch your legs”
(FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Those who still use a traditional coal pot think that it lasts longer than a Gyapa stove
and like its portability. Waste of fuel isn’t mentioned as a big issue…
95
Gyapa: Drivers and Barriers
Compared to the traditional coal pot the Gyapa offers a broad range of additional
benefits: fuel savings, cleanliness… Fragility is by far the main barrier to adoption
• Efficient: all users believe that it saves charcoal
“It’s less expensive because of the clay inside… It will stay hot” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra) ; “It’s economical… because of the clay”
(FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
•Ash collector: to keep the kitchen clean
“The ashes won’t spread around” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “It’s clean: the door retains the ashes” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
• Gate/door: to control fire power
“You can use the door when you don’t want the air to enter” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra) ; “If you want the fire to be fast, you can just
open the door” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
• 3 metal inserts: to control temperature in the pot
“You can put your pot on them when you cannot watch your food for 5 minutes” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
• Looks nice: design is an improvement vs the traditional coal pot
“I like the mould, the way they have structured it, the beauty of it” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “It’s beautiful” (FG, ch. trad, Takoradi)
• Insulation: thanks to the clay liner
“It won’t burn your child if he touches it” (FG, ch. ICS, Takoradi)
• Fragile: The clay breaks easily due to heat/pounding/water … probably also due to variations in clay quality).
“When the water comes out while cooking, it might weaken the clay” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi) ; “The Gyapa can spoil just like that” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi) ; “When the clay gets broken,
you cannot use it again” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
•Expensive: “I don’t have it because of the price” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “It’s more expensive than the coalpot” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
• Heavy: due to clay liner
“I can’t carry it because of my surgery” (Ethno, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “Aah, when I see that it's heavy before I pour it. It's
hectic. You can't be pouring it every day” (Ethno, charcoal ICS, Accra)
• Hard to light:
“When I put the whole pot on it, the air is not able to pass through, so the fire goes off “ (Ethno, charcoal ICS, Accra)
96
Focus: Barriers to Gyapa Adoption
1. Clay is segmenting (concerns about robustness)
One of the main differences between Gyapa adopters and Gyapa rejectors seems to lie in their
assessment of the lifespan of the Gyapa: Gyapa adopters testify that their stove already lasted for
years while rejectors are convinced that the clay will break after only a few months
2. Doubts about value for-money
The price of the Gyapa isn’t out of reach for the target population. However, doubts about the
robustness of the Gyapa combined with a higher retail price create concerns that the product
won’t be good value for money
3. Heaviness can be off putting for some
Some users have given up their Gyapa because it is too heavy. Very heavy weight can be a barrier.
4. Fuel savings aren’t a sufficient driver on their own
Gyapa users are convinced that they save fuel thanks to their stove and most non-users have
heard that this stove is economical. However, the traditional coal pot isn’t seen as a wasteful
product as such. Most think that it is already more economical than LPG. Furthermore, fuel
savings between the Gyapa and the coal pot are hard to assess. Traditional coal pot users often
need to test the product and witness the savings for themselves to be convinced.
97
LPG Stoves (1/2)
Ghanaian women are familiar with three categories of domestic LPG stoves:
Consumers are attracted to the 4 burner LPG stove with oven both because it offers new cooking options and because it makes a statement about their social status:
“The four burners; the one that stands like a fridge” (FG, wood, Ashanti) ; “I want the one with the big oven”(FG, charcoal traditional, Accra) ; “It is prestigious.” (FG, wood, Ashanti)
The 4 burner LPG stove with oven is the most coveted appliance
Single-burner stoves Table-top stoves 4 burner with oven
98
LPG Stoves (2/2)
Within the target groups, most women use their LPG stove to heat up their pre-
prepared food: LPG stoves compete with microwaves more than with the coal pot.
It will be very hard for LPG stoves to fully replace charcoal stoves in the target
women’s daily life
“I like the LPG mostly when it comes to heating already prepared meals” (Ethno, wood, Ashanti) ; “I use
gas when my son goes to school in the morning” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “I can heat my food on
the gas stove without using the microwave” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
There are two main barriers which are specific to using LPG stoves :
1. Most LPG stoves are stationary and require the cook to stay in the kitchen for the duration of
the preparation.
2. It is difficult to sit while using a LPG stove (except for stoves with camping set-up)
These are part of the reasons, along with the cost and scarcity of the fuel, why many women still
use their coal pot alongside their LPG stove:
“I can sit and do my thing. I don’t have to stand and that is why I use it. And I hold my baby while I am
cooking” (Ethno, charcoal ICS, Accra)
99
Electric Stoves
Electric stoves are seen as expensive to use and potentially dangerous
Pre-paid meters: Most families are connected to the grid through
prepaid meters. They buy their power at a high price and monitor
their consumption closely:
“ By that time we had a post-paid meter. One day the electric stove got spoilt,
when I received my bill I could really see the difference”
(Ethno, LPG, Takoradi)
Expensive: All respondents were really sensitive to the cost of
cooking with electric stoves and reluctant to use one for this
reason*:
“It will consume all the electricity” (from prepaid meter) (Ethno, charcoal trad,
Takoradi). ; “I don’t like it because it causes one to pay a lot of electricity bill. I
don’t like electricity in cooking because it is too expensive.”
(Ethno, wood, Ashanti)
Dangerous: Locally manufactured or old electric stoves can also
be dangerous:
“It consumes a lot of electricity and it is very dangerous. Especially when the
children are around… Because it's connected through electricity”
(FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
Electric stove observed in
Takoradi (no longer in use)
*: A typical electric stove has a power of 1000 to 2000 W (200 to 350 W for a label C fridge).
100
Overview of Cookstove Purchase Criteria
O ° C
Drivers
Barriers
Long Lighting Process
Lack of stability
Weight
Speed of use Aesthetics & Status
Safety issues
Clay Liner
Product lifespan/robustness
Polarizing
Portability
Efficiency
Standing Position
During the interviews and group discussions, participants were asked to list the key
criteria that they use/or would use when purchasing a new cookstove…
Grilling & Baking
101
Cookstove Purchase Drivers (1/2)Robustness or durability is by far the most important purchase criteria for the
majority of the target women. Value propositions which combine a long lifespan with
other benefits such as speed-of-use, design, portability, or baking/grilling options
will be particularly attractive.
1. Long lifespan/robustness: This is by far the most important purchase criteria. Materials which drive
value and expectations of a longer life-span include: stainless steel, non-stick materials, cast iron.
“The metal they use: you can see that the metal is fresh, new, not rusty” (Ethno, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “I will buy the one
that will last” (Ethno, wood, Ashanti) ; “I want the German stainless steel” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
2. Speed of use: This is more often associated with the type of fuel used than with a specific kind of stove
in the women’s mind, however it is clearly the top priority along with lifespan for all of them:
“If a buy a new coal pot, I will choose the one that cooks fast” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi) ; “I want the one that I can use
to do many things at the same time… with multiple burners” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
3. Aesthetics/status: Having a product that makes a statement about who you are is important to most:
“I would consider the beauty of the stove” (Ethno, charcoal ICS, Accra) ; “They could have different colors to match you
cabinet… For a beautiful stove, I would pay up to 150 or 200 Cedis” (Ethno, charcoal ICS, Accra) ; “For me I will go and
show it to those at my workplace” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
Portability: Using a product that can be easily moved around and even transported to different locations
is also a clear value-added:
“The one with handles so as to make it easy to cook my banku and to move.” (Ethno, wood, Ashanti) ; “For me it’s
portable. It can easily fit into a bag” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
102
Cookstove Purchase Drivers (2/2)
5. Grilling and Baking: Most women value the versatility of the stoves and the fact that they can use them
to grill or bake food in combination with other tools. A lot of traditional recipes involved grilled fish or
meat. Offering a grid for grilling for instance, can clearly increase the adoption rate of a stove:
““I will also go in for stoves with grilling inside to grill your meat or fish because other stoves do not have” (Ethno, Charcoal
ICS, Accra) ; “If I am to buy coal pot; you see the one I describes it to you that has a wire gauge, if I want to buy a coal
pot, that is what I will buy” (Ethno, charcoal trad, Accra)
6. Efficiency: Wasn’t “top-of-the mind” for the respondents, in part because savings are more associated
with the type of fuel used than with the specific efficiency of the stove. However, fuel savings are an
important benefit and can drive loyalty once participants have experimented them. It was one of the first
benefits mentioned by Gyapa users : “I like my kitchen with Gyapa because it’s economical” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
The kankra grill can be
fixed on a coal pot
LPG oven observed in
Takoradi
103
Cookstove Purchase Barriers A fastidious lighting process is the most significant purchase barrier mentioned by
respondents. Safety issues, lack of stability, and the need to stand up while cooking
can also put off some respondents.
1. Long and fastidious lighting process: This is a strong barrier. A cookstove that is challenging to light
will soon be left aside by consumers:
“Yes, and the coal pot too lights up faster… Yes, you see the hole is small” (Ethno, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “Some of the
burners use matches while others do not, so I would buy the burner or stove that will not use matches”
(FG, wood, Ashanti)
2. Safety issues: This was mostly mentioned in the case of LPG stoves. Women will be reluctant to
purchase a cookstove which they feel can cause serious injury, especially to their children:
“Like a kid can go and light a matches not realizing that he/she has already put the stove on and this can result in fire
outbreak” (FG, wood, Ashanti)
3. Lack of stability: A good cookstove must be stable enough not to tip over when preparing difficult
recipes, especially banku:
“I would need another stove for banku” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
4. Standing Position: Some women like to be seated when cooking, especially if they have to stir banku:
“Then sometimes when I prepare stew when I feel lazy I sit” (Ethno, charcoal ICS, Accra)
104
Cookstove Purchase – Polarizing Criteria Clay liners and heavy weight can be both positively and negatively assessed
depending on the consumer’s experience
1. Clay: Is a reason to believe that the stove will save fuel but it also fuels concerns about the robustness
of the product. Several participants believed that the clay liner in a Gyapa stove could break easily if hot
water was poured on it or if banku was stirred on it with too much energy:
“It’s the excessive heat that caused this crack… I bought it 6 months ago” (Ethno, wood, Ashanti) ; “I don’t cook banku on
Gyapa anymore lest I break it. It is not strong enough to withstand the pressure that is associated with preparing banku.”
(Ethno, wood, Ashanti)
However most of those who have been using it for a long time testify that their stove lasted several
years: “for 2 years now” (FG, ICS, Accra) ; “My auntie has used her Gyapa for 5 years” (FG, trad, Takoradi) ; “I have
used mine for 4 years” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
2. Weight: Adjusting the weight of a stove to please consumers is challenging. Weighing the stove is used
as a test to assess material quality: if a stove is too light, consumers will conclude that the materials
used to produce it are of low quality. On the other hand, excessively heavy stoves will also be rejected
by consumers who like their stove to be portable.
105
Summary of Key Findings
Urban and rural targets regularly mix fuels. LPG users have to resort to charcoal because LPG is
sometimes hard to find or to prepare specific recipes. Many charcoal users also have a LPG
stove, although they don’t always use it. Wood users also use charcoal when it’s raining or when
they are in a hurry. High prevalence of fuel mixing means that there is a lot of overlap between
the various target groups and the types of stoves that can be promoted among them.
Consumers are familiar with a broad range of cooking options for each fuel type. The woodstove
segment is still largely dominated by 3-stone fires although some alternatives exist (tire-rim, clay
stove). The charcoal cookstove market is dominated by traditional coal pots and Gyapas. While
the Gyapa has convinced a broad consumer segment, many are still reluctant to using it because
they have doubts about the robustness of the clay liner and the value of their investment. Safety
issues and fuel shortages are driving some consumers away from the LPG category. Those who
would still like to use LPG are particularly attracted to the 4 burner stove with oven, due to its
versatility. LPG is often used to heat up food rather than for proper cooking and therefore
competes with microwaves more than with other stoves.
When selecting a new cookstove consumers focus their attention on material quality first and
foremost. Other important criteria include speed-of-use, aesthetics, portability, and versatility
(grilling and baking options). Efficiency isn’t an ex-ante purchase criteria but will drive loyalty.
Lighting issues will be a strong barrier to the adoption of a product.
106
Product Testing and Evaluation
107
Test Methodology (1/2)
A sample of 8 cookstoves were selected by the Global Alliance for testing during this study. The test consisted in
a 1 hour cooking exercise conducted with a sample of women representing the priority target groups (traditional
charcoal users, charcoal ICS users, and traditional wood users). Each cookstove design was tested in at least
two focus groups and by at least four participants.
Spontaneous evaluation
During the first part of the focus groups, each cookstove design was successively introduced to the participants
visually and a short presentation text was read by the moderator. The respondents could observe the product and
were asked to give their spontaneous reactions. The moderator would then go through a series of questions
aimed at assessing the respondents understanding of the product’s key features, the usage that they envisioned
for this product, and the main expected benefits. Participants were finally asked to list the product features that
they liked and disliked before moving to the next stove.
Testing
After the spontaneous evaluation, a sample cookstove was randomly assigned to each participant. The
respondents were asked to prepare banku with the assigned stove, in the same way that they would do at home.
All ingredients and fuel were provided to the respondents in equal and sufficient quantities. The aim of the
exercise wasn’t to judge the efficiency of the stoves but rather to enable participants to assess whether or not
they enjoyed cooking with the products and whether they would be prepared to invest in such products. The
project team was able to observe the respondents during cooking and to probe on key challenges, likes and
dislikes for each product.
108
Test Methodology (2/2)
Post-test evaluation
Following the cooking exercise, participants were asked to evaluate the stoves again based on their own
experience with the products. The moderator probed on key drivers and barriers listed during the spontaneous
evaluation to assess how these had evolved following the test.
Pricing exercise
A pricing exercise was conducted with the respondents to assess the value assigned to each product based on its
main features and on the feedback from the cooking exercise. Each respondent was asked to individually assign
a price at which she would introduce the products in the market if she was in charge of selling these stoves in
Ghana. The point of asking at what price the respondents would sell the products rather than buy them was to
avoid bargaining strategies where participants would have tried to convince the moderator to sell the product at a
low price. All were asked to share their price estimations individually on a sheet of paper in order to prevent
opinion leaders from influencing other participants. Participants who couldn’t write received support from the
project team.
Ranking exercise
Finally, participants were asked to vote for the stove they would like to go home with if they could choose one of
the three samples presented during the focus group.
109
Focus Group Set-Up
Discussion Rooms
Test Venues
110
Overview of Cookstoves Tested
Tested with traditional charcoal
stove usersTested with charcoal ICS users
Brand: Man & Man
Name: Holy Cook
(local)
Brand: CookClean
Name: CookMate
(local)
Brand: Envirofit
Name: CH2300
(imported)
Brand: Anomena
Name: unknown
(local)
Brand: Dometic
Name: Clean Cook
(imported)
Brand: Envirofit
Name: M5000
(imported)
Brand: Philips
Name: HD4012
(imported)
Brand and model
of 3rd wood stove
withheld at the
request of the
manufactuer
Tested with
traditional
wood stove
users
111
Charcoal Stoves
112
Man & Man – Holy Cook
Consumer Segment: Tested with traditional charcoal users only
Specificities: Two different designs were tested for this stove. A
cylinder shaped stove and a standard “Jiko shaped” stove. Two Holy
Cookstoves were injected in each group.
Introductory Text :
“This is a charcoal stove which is made of a clay liner and metal
coating. The fuel must be inserted in the clay bowl and three metal
inserts can be used to support the pot. The stove has a door which
can be used to control air inflow”.
113
Man & Man – Holy Cook: Spontaneous Assessment
Not new but good looking in Accra where standard
Jiko shape was used to present the stove.
More impactful in Takoradi, where the cylinder shape
was introduced first:
“Oh it’s nice!” ; “It’s beautiful” ; “Is that a Gyapa?”; “The
shape is different” ; “The mould is very attractive”
(FG, trad, Takoradi)
Spontaneous Reactions Understanding
Anticipated Usage Expected Benefits
Usage seems straightforward to all. Assimilated to
Gyapa
Some participants have questions about the difficulty
of removing ashes from the ash container
One or two think they can bake cakes in the ash
container…
Participants spontaneously mention that the stands
are here to raise the pot for simmering at the end of the
cooking phase. None of them thinks that they can be
used during the main cooking phase.
Similar to coalpot: “It’s the same as the coalpot except
for the regulator. You can use it with a wire mesh” (FG,
urban, trad, Accra)
Versatile, can cook anything including banku: “This is
firm on the ground so you can easily cook your banku.
The coal pot will shake” (FG, trad, Takoradi)
Fuel savings: are the main expected benefit, derived
from clay liner and their knowledge of past
advertising/word-of-mouth
“It saves charcoal. How? Because you don’t use much
charcoal with Gyapa” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “It
saves charcoal because of the clay like the ovens made
of clay” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
Stability: was also mentioned by some
114
Man & Man – Holy Cook: Detailed Pre-Test AssessmentDrivers and barriers for this product are similar to those observed for the standard
Gyapa during the ethnographic phase
• The design: Looks beautiful
• The door: to regulate the airflow and prevent ashes from spreading in the kitchen:
“It’s got a regulator” (FG, trad, Accra) ; “I would state that it won’t dirty your kitchen” (FG, trad, Takoradi) ;
“You can control the heat” (FG, trad, Takoradi)
• Not new: lacks the appeal of innovative products
“It’s known as Gyapa in the system” [especially Jikoshape] (FG, urban, trad, Accra)
• Clay liner: is polarizing. Some think it isn’t robust, but others like the fact that it retains the heat
• Heavy: in Takoradi only, not a significant barrier
“The weight is too heavy. A kid cannot handle it. Maybe if you are busy and you ask…oh, can you bring the coal pot? They will tell you they can’t carry and you have to
go back and do it yourself”
(FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
115
Observations & Improvements
Observations while in use:
Participants use the stands to support the pot at the
end of the cooking phase, when they want to reduce
the heat in the pot. They tend to do this more than
they use the door to regulate the airflow:
“My pot was burning underneath so I lifted the pot up
and the placed these (stands) up like this then put the
pot on top and now the heat came down”
(FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
Few participants (if any) used the door to regulate the
fire while cooking.
All participants tend to fill this stove to overflowing and
use charcoal to support the pot which might result in
over consumption and airflow problems.
Requested Improvements:
Some participants found that the stands could be
removed to lower the price of the product.
Many participants fill this stove to overflowing
116
Man & Man – Holy Cook : Observations & Improvements
Lighting the Holy Cookstove wasn’t difficult All participants left the door of the Holy Cookstove open throughout
the stirring process. Right: participant has removed charcoal from
the fuel chamber to lower the power of the fire
117
Man & Man – Holy Cook: Detailed Post-Test AssessmentThe Holy Cookstove offered a satisfactory cooking experience in terms of ease-of-
use, fuel consumption and stability.
• Delivers on savings expectations: most participants already thought that this stove was saving charcoal before coming to the group. The testing exercise confirmed this expectation.
•Easy lighting: all respondents thought that this stove was easy to light: “It’s easier. With the one at home, I have to fan before the fire is lit, but, for this, I did not need to do that”(FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
•Handles are effective: “It doesn’t conduct heat” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
• Ashes are easy to remove: “I thought maybe when I am going put out the fire maybe I have to use broom or something to scoop up the ashes but I saw that when I pour out the fire the ashes also came out by itself and I was like wow ! ” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
• Stable: “It is easier to use [than the coalpot] because it doesn’t shake” (FG, trad, Takoradi)
• For the participants who don’t like clay, this was still a barrier after the test
•Weight is polarizing: most testers thought that the weight was acceptable, but it was still a barrier for a minority of respondents who had tested other products:
“You can’t take it far. It’s too heavy” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi) ; “I’d rather buy the one I used. This one is too
heavy” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi) ; “The weight is fine… it’s good” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
118
Man&Man – Holy Cook: Value
Low price estimations:
Participants already have prices in mind for the Gyapa stove: “It’s the price for this size” (FG, charcoal trad,
Accra) ;
Clay is a polarizing material and doesn’t drive value for all: “I gave ten because clay is a material that you can
find locally” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi) ; “I gave 20 because the clay can break” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi).
High price estimations:
Participants value the fuel savings and the cleanliness of the product: “It saves charcoal and it doesn’t spoil
the place” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
Clay is valued by some: “it will last longer” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “40 because the clay is heavy and it will
last” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
Price estimations for the Holy Cook varied from 10 GHc to 50 Ghc
GHc Price Range Mean Price Median Price
Accra 20 – 50 35.5 35
Takoradi 10 – 40 26 40
Price Estimations
Differences in willingness to pay for the Holy Cook are mostly explained by the
polarizing effect of clay as a raw material
119
Man&Man – Holy Cook: Key Findings
The Holy Cookstove is a product most participants feel familiar with and associate
with the Gyapa stove. This product lacks the magnetism of brand new designs which
hasn’t yet been introduced to the market; but has a good reputation overall.
Most participants like its appearance, are familiar with its operation and know that it
can help in saving fuel. The introduction of a slightly different shape through one of
the samples was appreciated. Weight and robustness are the two main spontaneous
concerns with this stove. Both of them are conveyed by the use of clay as one of the
main raw materials.
The participants who tested this stove had a satisfactory cooking experience. The fuel
savings still seemed credible after the test and the stove was easy to light and
manipulate. Its stability was also appreciated. However, barriers related to the
robustness and weight of the stove remained.
Overall, the Holy Cook is a good product but it isn’t new and it seems unlikely to
quickly attract many users who aren’t already converted to the Gyapa.
120
CookClean – CookMate
Consumer Segment: Tested with traditional charcoal users only
Specificities: Three samples of this product where tested in each
focus group.
Introduction Text :
“This is a charcoal stove which is entirely made of metal sheet. It has
a deep fuel chamber and a skirt that covers the sides of the pot while
cooking. The pot must be inserted in the skirt and there should be a
small space to let the air flow between the skirt and the pot. This
stove also has a door which can be used to control air inflow.”.
121
CookClean - CookMate: Spontaneous Assessment
Strong positive impact at first sight: “wouah” ; “it’s nice”
; “it’s new”; “it draws attention” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
; “Coalpot with swag!” ; “You can give it as a present!”
(FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
Seems engineered/high technology: “They’ve
calculated everything”; “I also like the door, the fact that
it’s sliding” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
Spontaneous Reactions Understanding
Anticipated Usage Expected Benefits
Easy to operate/similar to coal pot.
The benefit of the skirt in terms of efficiency is clear:
“All the heat will stay under the pot” (FG, trad, Accra)
Similar to coal pot: “It works the same as coal pot”
(FG, Accra, trad); “It seems easy to use” (FG, trad,
Takoradi).
Long lifespan: metal is less polarizing than clay: “I
think it will last long because of the metal” ; “It’s durable”
(FG, trad, Takoradi) ; “For me since I am afraid of trying
Gyapa this would be good” (FG, trad, Takoradi)
Status and cleanliness: Hides charcoal from sight:
“Those of us who bluff [show off] a lot…we don’t want
people to see that we use coal pots, it will be good for
us” (FG, trad, Takoradi)
Fuel savings: “it will save more charcoal [than Man &
Man] because the air is controlled” (FG, ch. trad, Accra)
122
CookClean - CookMate: Detailed Pre-Test AssessmentThe CookMate is a strong value proposition with expected benefits in terms of
status, fuel savings and durability
• The skirt: charcoal is hidden, also provides a reason to believe in fuel savings: “It’s hygienic, someone wouldn’t think it’s a charcoal stove” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ;
• Material quality: seems good: “I think it will last long because of the metal” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
•The door: for air control and cleanliness: “Even the door…sliding door [giggling] … I will say it will not dirty my kitchen” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
•Handles: “I can easily lift it” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
• The painting is polarizing: the color is attractive but some fear that it wont last: “The painting… it’s nice” (FG, trad, Accra) ; “They should change the color. It will get black with time” (FG, trad, Takoradi)
123
CookClean – CookMate: Observations & Improvements
Observations while in use:
Strong smell of burning/melting paint after a few
minutes. One participant mentioned it and then
commented: “It will go away if I use it a lot” (FG, trad,
Accra)
Hard to use iron rods with this stove as the skirt
covers the sides of the pot. The rods will rest on the
skirt and hardly reach the floor. Need for special rods,
very long rods…
Pot tends to slip on the stands: When the
participants were able to use the rods, the pot would
shake/slip on the inserts which made the stove
unpleasant to use for banku. One participant added
more charcoal so that the pot would sit on it rather
than on the stands.
Few participants used the door to regulate air.
Requested Improvements:
Reduce the height of the skirt: “They should reduce
the size of the skirt so that we can use bigger pots”
(FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “The charcoal collector
should come higher and the skirt be shorter” (FG,
charcoal trad, Takoradi)
Participant trying to adjust iron rods and stabilize
her pot during test.
124
CookClean – CookMate: Observations & Improvements
Charcoal used to wedge the pot in the
stove because it was sliding on the
stands.
The iron rods slip on the stands and slide on the edges of the skirt,
which causes the pot to shake in the stove.
125
CookClean – CookMate: Detailed Post-Test AssessmentParticipants had mixed experiences with the CookMate: the stove is considered
efficient and fast but most weren’t comfortable preparing banku on it
• Participants observe fuel savings: “It doesn’t take too much charcoal and it’s still effective” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra); “We put less charcoal than in the coal pot and there was enough fuel left to cook something else after the banku” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
• Fast: participants were able to prepare their bankuquickly with this stove: “I was surprised at how fast it was” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
• Skirt effectively retains heat: “The sketch is good. It prevents the heat from coming out because sometimes the coal pot when you used it you can feel that the fire the heat all over but these one you cannot feel the heat”(FG, trad, Accra) ; “It’s also ok because the skirt protects your legs while stirring banku” (FG, trad, Takoradi)
• Skirt + Iron rods combination: The height of the skirt makes it hard to use iron rods on this stove. Most respondents think the combination would work better with a larger pot “Everything was ok except that my pot was shaking” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “I also found that the pot shaked” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
• Pots tend to slip on the stands: one of the explanations for this issue could be that the stands are painted “This is better than coalpot but if there is not enough charcoal the pot will shake while preparing banku” (FG, trad, Takoradi)
• Handles heat up during cooking process: “the handles were hot” (FG, trad, Accra)
126
CookClean – CookMate: Value
Low price estimations:
Low price estimations where mostly given by consumers who value clay (over metal) as a raw
material: “It looks a little lighter” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi) ; “It’s not heavy” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
High price estimations:
High prices estimations were mostly given by consumers who value metal metal as a raw material: “Because there is no clay so I added five. It doesn’t break” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi); “50 because of the inner
metal as compared to the clay” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
A minority of respondents also explained that this stove also deserved a high price because it saved
fuel: “This one is more economical ” (FG, trad charcoal, Accra).
Price estimations for this stoves varied from 12 GHc to 60 GHc
GHc Price Range Mean Price Median Price
Accra 25 – 60 37 35
Takoradi 12 – 50 27.5 25
Price Estimations
Differences in willingness to pay for the CookMate are mostly explained by the
polarizing effect of metal vs. clay as a raw material
127
CookClean – CookMate : Key Findings
The CookClean has an impactful, attractive design which caught the attention of the participants.
It’s innovative features (sliding door) and its polished finish make it stand out as a quality, well
engineered product.
While innovative, the CookClean seems to have a familiar operation process and participants
immediately felt that they would be comfortable using it. This cookstove has a prestige
dimension and participants anticipate that owning it would send a message about their improved
social condition. The use of metal as the only material to produce it makes it less polarizing than
the Holy Cook. The skirt and the sliding door drive expectations that this stove will save fuel.
Participants had a somewhat disappointing cooking experience with this stove because they
struggled to use the iron rods which are necessary to stir banku and because the pot would slide
on the stands. Some participants considered that this problem could be solved by using a bigger
pot. However, since the pot sizes used varied from 1.5 to 2.5, there may be a need to adjust the
dimensions of the stove/skirt to make it more versatile. The paint seemed to melt/burn during the
first cooking sessions and could also be a concern for health professionals, although it wasn’t a
concern for the participants.
Overall, this stove has a good potential to convert new users to clean cooking but it may need
some fine-tuning before promotion on a large-scale.
128
Envirofit – CH2300
Consumer Segment: Tested with charcoal traditional users and
charcoal ICS users.
Specificities: Three samples of this product where tested in all
charcoal focus group.
Introduction Text :
“This is a charcoal stove that is made of insulated metal alloy. There is
an air inflow at the bottom of the pot which can be operated with a
small knob. Pull it to the left to lower/close the air inflow and to the
right to open the air inflow”.
129
Envirofit – CH2300: Spontaneous Assessment
This stove is immediately identified as foreign
(positive): “aboshi [foreign in local language]” ;; “I don’t
think it’s locally made” (FG, ICS, Takoradi) ; “Knowing
that it comes from outside would make me feel it’s
quality” (FG, ICS, Takoradi). Preferred country of origin:
“Not from Africa” ; “Maybe Europe”. However, most
participants would prefer a Ghanaian product to a
Chinese one.
Very strong positive impact at first sight: “waouh!” ; “It’s
cute” (FG, trad, Takoradi) ; “It’s bluffin” (FG, ICS,
Takoradi)
Spontaneous Reactions Understanding
Anticipated Usage Expected Benefits
How the air flows through the fuel chamber is unclear
unless further explanations are provided: “I am not sure
that the air can get through” (FG, trad, Accra)
However once it has been explained, the participants
understand how the ventilation system works: “If you
want to open it, you turn the handle towards the large
side of the triangle” (FG, ICS, Accra)
Several questions on where the ash is being
stored/where it goes: “so the ashes aren’t coming
down?” (FG, trad, Takoradi) .
Everything except banku: only half of the respondents
thought that they could prepare banku with this stove
before testing: “If I want it to last, I won’t use it for banku”
(FG, trad, Accra) ; “It’s too low to use the iron rods” (FG,
ICS, Takoradi)
For smaller pots: “It’s not good for big sauce pans”
(FG, trad, Takoradi)
Usage differs from that of other coal pots: participants
envision using it on a table as a gas stove : “You can use
it to cook in your room” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Fuel savings: mostly due to small size :“It saves more
than the two other stoves because it’s smaller” (FG, ch.
trad, Accra) ; “ “It saves more than the Stove A (Holy
Cook)” (FG, ch. trad, Takoradi)
Long-lasting: raw materials are immediately identified
as high quality “The metal that is used, you can see that
it’s quality, not like the Gyapa” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Portable: “It’s very portable” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Design/Aesthetics: “Rice cooker” (FG, ch. trad,
Takoradi)
130
Envirofit – CH2300: Detailed Pre-Test AssessmentThe CH2300 is an extremely attractive product due to its innovative design and its
high perceived quality. Consumers need to be reassured on ventilation and stability
• Nice design: “The mould is very nice” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
• Handles: received a lot of positive assessments “The handle isn’t made of metal, you don’t need a tissue” ; “the handles… they are made of wood” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra) ; “the wooden handles are good” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
• Material quality: although it is compared to non-stick metal (positive) respondents expect it to be durable “It looks like the stainless bowls” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra);“It’s a non-stick coal pot: like the sauce pans !” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
• Small Format: “It’s very portable when travelling you can put it your hand bag and take it along” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “When you are going to cook food, you can carry it” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra) ; “I like the fact that it’s small” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra)
• Airflow: some participants are worried about the airflow (since the gate is hidden under the stove). They anticipate that this stove might need to be intensely fanned throughout the cooking process: “Some people might think it wouldn’t get enough air from under… It will waste your time” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
•Stability: in each group some respondents wondered whether it would be stable enough to use large pots and prepare banku: “I think you can’t cook banku on it” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
•Refilling (just a few comments): “Maybe it’s difficult to add charcoal, with the Gyapa it’s easy” (FG, ICS, Accra)
131
Envirofit – CH2300: Observations & Improvements
Observations while in use:
Over filling: Participants tend to fill the stove to overflowing: this affects
the airflow and the stability of the stove (in all groups): “If I don’t fan, it will
be too slow (ie: I will lose time)” (FG, urban, Accra)
Ventilation issues:
1. Participants fanned the stove a lot because they were concerned
about the airflow. However this did not result in significant
complaints.
2. Because the air inlet is hard to see/reach participants fanned the
stove from the top which sometimes resulted in a lot of sparkles
flying through the bottom of the stove
3. Participants hardly used the airflow regulator to control the power
of the fire (many feared that there wouldn’t be enough air flowing
through the stove): “we didn’t use the air regulator but we would
have used it for rice” (FG, urban, trad, Accra)
Stability: For one participant who didn’t want to use the iron rods, the pot
was shifting on the stove because of the removable stand.
Requested Improvements:
Fix the stand to the stove: Several respondents did not understand why
the stand that supports the pot wasn’t fixed to the stove and thought that
it should be fix to improve stability (before testing): “you should fix that
part” (FG, trad, Accra)
Participants fanned this stove intensely
132
Envirofit – CH2300: Observations & Improvements
Participants tend to fill this stove to overflowingWhen used with iron rods, this stove makes banku
preparation very comfortable
133
Envirofit CH2300 : Detailed Post-Test AssessmentParticipants were very enthusiastic after preparing banku with this stove. They
experienced strong benefits in termes of ease-of-use, speed-of-use and fuel savings.
• Very positive experience overall: “My interest is… now I want to take it home. I love it!” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi) ; “So nice!” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi) ; “I would like it in my ideal kitchen” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
•Very noticeable fuel savings: “With the same charcoal I could cook 2 pots of banku” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra) ; “When I prepare banku at home I use 1 Cedi charcoal. Here I used less than 50 cents” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
• Stable: participants are reassured, this stove can cook banku“I came across this cute new coal pot it was convenient to use and at the beginning I thought my pot will be shaking but it didn’t shake”(FG, trad, Accra)
• Seems very effective/fast : “Because that one you can see when you are using it it’s faster that is why am changing my mind” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “It was fast… Almost as fast as the LPG”(FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi) ; “I now even love it more because it went faster than I expected” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
• Ash container is ok: initial concerns have vanished “There was no ash. I even wondered where the ashes went” (FG,ICS, Takoradi)
• Airflow: is still a minor concern “There wasn’t enough airflow… we kept fanning” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “There isn’t much space for the air” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra)
• Size is slightly polarizing (very minor): participants expect this stove to be offered in larger sizes as well “I would like it a little bit bigger so that I can use a big size of pot” (FG, ICS, Accra)
134
Envirofit – CH2300: Value
Low price estimations:
Low prices were mostly justified by the small size of the stove: although many consumers value its portability and many
other features, a small size is associated with a lower price in the mind of most respondents: “I said 7 because Gyapa
is 12 and this one is smaller” (FG, trad, Accra) ; “10 because it’s smaller” (FG, trad, Takoradi)
High price estimations:
The innovative design and materials of the product are the main value drivers: “If something is new in town you will
buy it” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “I said 50 because of the handles, the metal, the inside… how it’s been made” (FG,
ICS, Accra) ; “I gave it 70 because of the handles and the non-stick metal” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi) ; “I gave it 50. I
looked at the quality” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
Portability also creates willingness to pay: “50 because of the portability: you can take it anywhere” (FG, ICS, Accra)
Price estimations for this stoves varied from 7 GHc to 150 GHc. Higher dispersion in
prices shows that consumers struggle to assess the value of this new product
Price Estimations
Although consumers are very attracted to the CH2300 and want to buy it, its small
size explains that it had a lower mean price in most groups.
GHc Price Range Mean Price Median Price
Accra (traditional) 20 to 50 32.5 30
Accra (ICS) 7 to 50 24 20
Takoradi (traditional) 10 to 150 50 30
Takoradi (ICS) 15 to 50 23 20
135
Envirofit – CH2300: Key Findings
The Envirofit CH2300 is a very impactful product which impressed all the participants from the
outset. Consumers immediately identify that it is of a different quality, a different finish, which
leads them to conclude that it is imported. Its foreign origin adds to its prestige. The materials
used to manufacture the stove are very attractive (assimilated to non-stick metal).
Participants initially had difficulties to understand how the ventilation system and the ash collector
worked on this stove. They were also concerned by the stability of the stove due to its small size.
However, they spontaneously associated several benefits with the product before testing it: long-
lastingness derived from material quality, portability, fuel savings, and a pleasant design.
The cooking experience was very positive for all users and lifted most of the barriers for those who
thought that this small stove wouldn’t be stable enough to prepare banku. Participants observed
very significant savings and were also impressed by how fast the stove cooked their banku
compared to its size. The ventilation system and the removable stand are two minor areas for
improvement. However, the main challenge for this stove is the need to educate the consumer on
its price as most women are currently convinced that smaller products deserve a smaller price.
The CH2300 has a strong potential to attract a large population of users as it stands and is a good
candidate for large-scale promotion in Ghana. It should be marketed with pictures or videos
demonstrating its stability and capacity to prepare banku to reassure potential consumers.
136
Liquid Fuel Stoves
137
Anomena – LPG stove
Consumer Segment: Tested with charcoal ICS users only.
Specificities: Only one sample of this product was available for the
test. In order to collect more feedback, two participants were asked to
use it together in each group.
Introduction Text :
“This is an LPG stove that comes with a large size cylinder. Turn the
knobs on the cylinder and on the stove to open the gas inflow, then
scratch a match close to the burner to start the flame. The size of the
flame can be controlled with the knob on the side of the stove. Don’t
move the stove or the bottle while the gas is open and make sure that
the gas cylinder doesn’t fall. Also, avoid walking over the pipe while
the gas is open ”.
138
Anomena – LPG stove: Spontaneous Assessment
Low impact: Few reactions when the product was first
displayed
Polarizing: “I don’t like it. It’s too big” (FG, ICS, Accra) ;
“I don’t like it because of the size and weight” (FG, ICS,
Accra)
Spontaneous Reactions Understanding
Anticipated Usage Expected Benefits
A stove aimed at people cooking in large quantities: “It
will replace firewood because of the size” ; “It would be
used for those preparing food” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra)
; “For the weddings” ; “It’s good when you put large pots
on it” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
An institutional stove for professionals: “If I want to sell
banku and tilapia I can use it for my commercial” (FG,
ICS, Takoradi) ; “I can use it if I have a business” (FG,
ICS, Accra)
To rent out: ”I could rent it to someone” (FG, ICS,
Accra) ; “I would like to own one but I wouldn’t use it… I
would rent it out” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Speed of use: “It cooks fast” (FG, ICS, Accra)
139
Anomena – LPG stove: Detailed Pre-Test AssessmentThe Anomena LPG stove is a polarizing product. It is mostly appreciated for its
perceived robustness.
• Robust burner: participants notice that the burner is very heavy and made of cast iron “I like the burner: you don’t need to open it and clean it” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra)
• Windshield: “The burner is fixed inside and the air will not go inside” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra)
• Safety: Negative comments about the regulator/knob and the way it is connected to the burner “the screw is not good” ; “it should be covered” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra)
•Doesn’t seem very stable: “Me I think that it will shake on its stands. When you put a big pot on it, it will tilt !” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
140
Anomena – LPG stove: Observations & Improvements
Observations while in use:
Safety issues:
1. In both groups the participants were very scared to light this
stove in part because of the big size of the burner, the several
knobs that need to be turned to regulate the gas flow and also
because of the noise produced by the gas flowing through the
burner.
2. Some participants were confused about the operation of the
knob and turned it in the wrong direction which resulted in a very
large (and scary) flame.
3. Due to the height of the stove, and the positioning of the
regulator on the side of the stove, the gas pipe was lying on the
floor during most of the cooking exercise. There is a risk that the
user or a household member stumble over it, which could result
in an accident.
Versatility: It was impossible to use the iron rods with this stove due to
its height and width. The rods wouldn’t reach the floor.
Stability: The stove shook when the floor wasn’t perfectly even.
Requested Improvements:
Should be produced in smaller sizes.
There is no indication to help users
turn the regulator in the right direction.
The screw connecting the knob to the
burner is also scary.
141
Anomena – LPG stove: Observations & Improvements
The iron rods can’t reach the floor. The stove had
to be wedged with a piece of carboard.
It is hard to prevent the gas pipe from
resting on the floor
142
Anomena – LPG stove: Detailed Post-Test AssessmentSpeed-of-use is the main benefit of this stove. However, it isn’t adapted to domestic
tasks and its large size creates concerns regarding fuel consumption
• Fast cooking process: “I would use it for my business because I saw that it was very fast” ; “It saves time” (FG, ICS, Accra)
•Note that the manufacturer of this stove has indicated that it is intended to specifically target street food vendors. Many women in Ghana use their stoves for small scale commercial use in addition to home use, so it was included in the study.
• Significant safety concerns.
• Impossible to use normal size iron rods with this stove
• Wasteful: “It’s fast but I think it’s wasting fuel” ; “It’s for bigger pots” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
• The regulator is confusing: “The regulator isn’t that easy to use” (FG, ICS, Takoradi) ; “When you want to reduce the fire, it will go off” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
• The stove shaked on its stands at Takoradi venue
143
Anomena – LPG stove: Value
Low price estimations:
Low price estimations were justified by the lack of convenience of the stove for a domestic use: “I said 40 because it’s
very heavy” (FG, ICS, Accra) ; “40. The stands, it’s not stabe” (FG, ICS, Takoradi))
High price estimations:
This stove clearly belonged to a different product category in the respondents’ minds and did not stand in the same
price range as domestic stoves.
High prices were also largely driven by the robustness of the product: “I gave 100 because this one it’s robust
compared to the one I have” (FG, ICS, Accra) ; “I gave 150 because I think it will last” (FG, ICS, Accra) ; “50 because
it’s very strong. It will last” (FG, ICS, Takoradi).
Expectations to make money by renting it sometimes created willingness to pay for this stove: “The thing is big and you
can use it for funerals so you are not using your money” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Price estimations for this stoves varied from 30 GHc to 200 GHc (excluding cylinder).
Price Estimations
Only a minority of respondents were prepared to buy this stove, although they gave
it a high price. While they see its value, they don’t find it suited to their needs
GHc Price Range Mean Price Median Price
Accra 40 to 200 89 50
Takoradi 30 to 120 61 55
144
Anomena – LPG stove: Key Findings
The Anomena LPG stove is first and foremost seen as a professional product. Its design is
neither impactful nor particularly pleasant but participants expect that this stove will cook fast
and in large quantities. They also see it as a potential source of income, as this stove seems well
suited for a rental activity.
During the spontaneous evaluation, some concerns emerged about the safety of the product,
especially related to the regulation knob which is positioned on the side of the stove and directly
connected to the burner. These were confirmed during the cooking test as all participants were
scared to light the stove and requested that the project team light if for them. In addition, the
respondents struggled to understand in which direction they should turn the regulation knob and
in one instance this led the participant to panic and step away from the stove when the flame
became impressively big.
The stove was too large to be used with a domestic pot and normal iron rods. Its design makes it
difficult to adjust to uneven floors and creates stability issues when one of the four legs doesn’t
reach the floor.
Overall, this stove wasn’t well suited to the needs of domestic users but could be promoted among
professional cooks. However, features should be added to this product in order to improve user
safety.
145
Dometic – Ethanol stove
Consumer Segment: Tested with charcoal ICS users only.
Specificities: Three samples of this product were tested in each
charcoal ICS group.
Introduction Text :
“This a stove that works with a special type of alcohol called ethanol.
This stove has two burners and each burner can be opened or closed
with a small knob. Turn the burner to full open position and light the
burner by holding a lit match at the burner opening. Then adjust the
flame with the knob. Make sure the stove is on a level base when
operating”.
146
Dometic – Ethanol stove: Spontaneous Assessment
Very strong positive impact: “Hush” ; “It’s nice” ; “It’s
attractive” (FG, ICS, Accra) ; “It’s nice. You can clean it
easily and it will shine” (FG, ICS, Takoradi).
Spontaneous Reactions Understanding
Anticipated Usage Expected Benefits
Assimilated to kerosene stove at first sight: “Does it
use kerosene?” (FG, ICS, Accra)
Would replace a LPG stove: “It looks like table top gas
but it’s not gas so that’s why I like it” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Can be used for banku: “you can put it on the floor to
cook banku” (FG, ICS; Accra)
Safety: “It is safe as compared to the gas. I don’t know
much about the fuel but it seems safe” (FG, ICS, A ccra)
Portable: “You can travel with it” (FG, ICS, Takoradi) ;
Nice design: Pleasant look: “The appearance… It’s
neat” (FG, ICS, Accra) ; “It would beautify my kitchen”
(FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Easy to maintain: “It’s easier to clean” (FG, ICS,
Accra) ; “There is no painting so you can scrub it” (FG,
ICS, Takoradi)
147
Dometic – Ethanol stove: Detailed Pre-Test AssessmentAn attractive alternative to LPG but consumers need to be reassured about fuel price
and availability, as well as material quality
• 2 burners: “Having 2 burners is nice” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
• No cylinder: “This one there is no bottle that prevents you from moving it” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
• Table-top but can also be used on the floor
• Material quality is polarizing: many like stainless steel but have had bad experiences with low quality metal which rusted quickly. “Is it not going to rust? I think it might rust” (FG, ICS, Accra) ; “It looks nice but before I buy something I want to check the quality” (FG, ICS, Accra)
• Ethanol: Concerns about the availability/price of this fuel: “What if you don’t find ethanol?” ; “There should be something that you can use instead of ethanol” (FG, ICS, Accra) ; “I would like to know how much the ethanol costs” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
• Refueling and lighting process: “There should be a hole so that you can add fuel without turning it upside down” (FG, ICS, Accra) ; “I think it’s too direct to put the match directly in the hole”
148
Dometic – Ethanol stove: Observations & Improvements
Observations while in use:
Sometimes slow: the venue used in Takoradi was very open (roof but no
walls) and wind seems to have affected cooking speed for one user.
No significant issue during use:
1. All participants found the stove very easy to light.
2. Several participants decide to use the stove on the floor and felt
that it worked very well.
3. It was sometimes necessary to refill the ethanol canisters during
the cooking task and participants felt that this process was easy*.
The cooking experience is actually very close to what LPG provides:
“It’s good for people who are scared of LPG” (FG, ICS, Takoradi) ; “It would
replace LPG table-top stoves” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Requested Improvements:
Meter: Some respondents requested that the manufacturer adds a meter to
help them anticipate on the need to refill the ethanol canisters.
*: note that the manufacturer of this stove has found that 1 full canister of ethanol (1.2 liters)
can usually cook on high power for 4 hours and on low power for about 9 hours. Participants
in the workshop did need to refill their canisters despite the short cooking time due to limited
supply of this fuel for the study, which meant that the canisters were not full at the start of
cooking. Participants were also encouraged to test adding more fuel to the stove during
cooking to test whether they found it easy or challenging.
149
Dometic – Ethanol stove : Observations & Improvements
Lighting and regulating the Dometic stove
was easy.
Participants felt comfortable stirring banku on the floor with this stove
150
Dometic – Ethanol stove: Detailed Post-Test AssessmentA very positive cooking experience overall: combines the benefits of charcoal and
LPG stoves
• Overall impression is still very positive : ”I still like it” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
• Easy to use/convenient: barriers related to lighting or refueling process are lifted “Anybody at all could use it. It’s convenient !” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
• Stable: “It makes steering banku easy because the stand is very firm” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
• Easy regulation: Adjustable flame/power: “You can increase the intensity of the fire” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
• Portable: “you can take it everywhere” (FG, ICS, Accra) ; “You can drive your banku wherever you need to take it” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
• Versatile: “It could cook anything” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
• Feels safe: “It’s not dangerous like the gas” (FG, ICS, Accra) ; “There’s no risk that the kids will come and play with the regulator or the pipe” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
• Durability (minor): Still minor concerns about the durability of the product: “the inserts are black. I think it won’t last more than a year… I have the perception that it would rust” (FG, ICS, Accra) ; “if I pour water on it while cooking, will it affect it?’
• Safety (minor): Some sharp edges on the stands which support the pots: “The only problem I had was that I poured water and I cut myself while trying to swipe it… I wanted a way that I would just need to shift the inserts to clean it” (FG, ICS, Accra)
• Speed (minor - only in Takoradi): “It’s very slow but I think it’s because of the wind” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
151
Dometic – Ethanol stove: Value
High price estimations:
Respondents base their assessment on the price point they have in mind for LPG stoves: “I said 80.
Because last year I went to buy a one burner gas stove and they gave it to us 60 cedis” (FG, ICS,
Accra)
In addition this product brings additional benefits in terms of portability and safety which give it extra
value : “50 because this one you don’t need a cylinder… They have fixed everything for you” (FG,
charcoal ICS, Takoradi) ; “80 it’s safe, you don’t need to use gas” (FG, charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
Price estimations for this stoves varied from 25 GHc to 100 GHc.
Price Estimations
This stove really convinced most respondents. The only strong barrier which still
needs to be removed after testing is that of the fuel availability and price
GHc Price Range Mean Price Median Price
Accra 25 to 100 49 35
Takoradi 30 to 80 56 60
152
Dometic – Ethanol stove: Key FindingsThe Dometic ethanol stove was very well received by participants who immediately saw it as a
potential alternative to LPG. The two burner set-up is a feature which is shared with some LPG
stoves and very much appreciated.
Consumers anticipate that this technology will be safer to use than LPG while providing additional
benefits in terms of portability and versatility. Respondents spontaneously explained that this
stove could be used like a coal pot to prepare banku on the floor. On the other hand, there were
significant concerns regarding the availability and price of the ethanol which would need to be
addressed by potential promoters of this technology.
The cooking experience was very pleasant both for the women who chose to cook on the floor and
for those who preferred to use the stove on a table. There were no significant challenges linked to
the use of ethanol (lighting or refilling of the canister). The durability of the stainless-steel coating
was one polarizing dimension of the product which could potentially be addressed in the
marketing strategy of this stove. Indeed, some women have had bad experiences with stainless
products which rusted quickly.
Overall, the Dometic ethanol stove stands as an excellent combination of the benefits of the LPG
stove (ease-of-use, speed-of-use) and those offered by charcoal stoves (portability, versatility). It
is a very good value proposition with a strong potential to attract consumers. However,
promoters will need to invest heavily in the promotion of ethanol to reassure consumers on its
price and long-term availability.
153
Wood Stoves
154
BackgroundThe wood stoves were tested in two different villages outside of Takoradi (45 min drive from the city
center). Most focus group participants had never used anything other than a 3-stone fire to cook with
wood before the test. A couple of them were using more advanced designs such as tire-rim stoves. The
improved stoves introduced during the test therefore involved quite a significant change in habits for
them. It appeared quite clearly during the test that the shift from a 3-stone fire to a wood ICS involved a
longer learning process than the replacement of coal pot with a charcoal ICS and this must be taken
into account when interpreting the results presented in the following pages.
The project team gave more detailed explanations to the participants for the wood ICS than they had done
for the charcoal ICS. Despite this fact, participants required significantly more support during the
cooking process than was the case with the charcoal stoves and the explanations had to be repeated
several times, especially regarding adding of fuel to the stove and fire lighting. These initial lighting
challenges point to a need for more intensive training and awareness raising among wood users.
The Envirofit M5000 and another wood stove (brand and model withheld at request of manufacturer) were
tested with wood purchased locally. The Philips stove was tested with wood chips purchased at a
supermarket in Accra. In order to make the cooking process as consistent with local habits as possible,
participants were initially only provided with matches and wood. When they requested additional fire
starter, they were offered kerosene and paper. This was the case in the first group. In the second group,
the participants didn’t request anything and lit their fire with kindling. Some of them also used the
plastic bag in which their dough was contained as fire starter (as is often the case in real life
conditions).
All rural fieldwork was conducted in local language (Twi).
155
Envirofit – M5000
Consumer Segment: Tested with traditional wood
users only.
Specificities: Two samples of this product were tested in
each traditional wood group.
Introduction Text :
“This wood stove has a robust frame made of alloy metal. It
features adjustable handles and a metal grate to support
the wood. Start by inserting kindling along with your usual
fire starter in the main opening of the stove. Once the fire is
lit, you can add wood sticks to fuel your fire. You can
support the wood sticks with a rock or a brick to improve
combustion. Always make sure that there is enough space
left in the main opening to let the air flow freely in the stove.
Flip up the metal grate to remove ashes”.
156
Envirofit – M5000: Spontaneous Assessment
Very strong positive impact: “wow” ; “it’s nice” ; “it’s
beautiful” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1) ; “It’s neat” ; “I have
not seen this design before” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
Unique product: “I have not seen the same design
before” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1)
Spontaneous Reactions Understanding
Anticipated Usage Expected Benefits
Some participants mistook this wood stove for a
charcoal stove at first glance or expected the stove to
accommodate multiple fuels: “What I am wondering is
where I can put my charcoal” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2) ;
“Can you use charcoal for it?” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1)
The materials used to produce this stove seem new
and unfamiliar to the rural target group. This leads to
some questions to clarify the components of this stove:
“Madam, is there something that will burn inside or
melt?” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
Very versatile: can cook rice, fufu, ampesi, soup, or
even be used with a grill to grill fish or meat.
Ease-of-use: convenient, effortless “It will be easier to
use” ; “I just have to wait for it to cook” (FG, wood,
Ashanti, G1)
Fuel savings: “It will not consume much fire wood…
because the space is not much” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1)
; “Madam, this one will consume less firewood than the
‘mukyia [3 stone fire]’” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
Clean: “Smoke will not bother you” (FG, wood, G1)
Portable: “You can lift it from one place to the other
when you are confronted with rain” (FG, wood, Ash., G1)
157
Envirofit – M5000: Detailed Pre-Test AssessmentThe Envirofit M5000 arouses significant interest among consumers who expect it to
be convenient, efficient, portable, and last but not least durable.
• Accommodates several sizes of pots: “It looks simple so any pot can fit on it” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
• Handles: contribute to portability and provide some flexibility “What I like about them is the flexibility… I would remove the handles while cooking to avoid an accident” (FG, wood, Ashanti G2)
• Material quality: seems durable, some respondents tried to weigh the stove and were convinced “Yes, we believe it’s quality” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2) ; “Looking at how it is, it will be expensive” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1) ; “Not only its beauty but it will last long” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1)
• No significant spontaneous barrier
158
Envirofit – M5000: Observations & Improvements
Observations while in use:
Fuel amount:
1. Initially, most participants tend to stuff this stove
with a big load of wood despite explanations
received from the moderator: “If you put the right
quantity of wood inside, there will be no smoke
but if there is no adequate woods, then you can
encounter smoke but on the whole it is good”
(FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
2. However, after being reminded of the
instructions, all participants were able to light the
stove and complete the cooking task.
Lighting: one of the four participants who used this
stove initially had difficulties to light it, in part because
she used too much wood.
Requested Improvements:
There were no improvement requested for this stove.
Although they have been warned not to do so,
participants initially try to feed the stove with a lot
of wood before lighting it.
159
Envirofit – M5000 : Observations & Improvements
Participants felt very comfortable preparing banku with this stove.Once they have been reminded of the need
to start the fire with kindling, participants
manage to light the stove easily.
160
Envirofit – M5000: Detailed Post-Test AssessmentParticipants enjoyed cooking with this stove and were enthusiastic about its speed-
of-use, ease-of-use, cleanliness and efficiency.
• Fast and effortless: “Right after setting the fire, my banku started to cook fast and that made me finish early” ; “The fire worked faster for the banku to cook early” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1); “The moment you light it, it catches fire and it makes cooking faster” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
• Easy to regulate: “I could regulate it by pushing out some of the wood when the fire was too hot or added more when the fire wasn’t much. So in all, it did perform well“ (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1)
• Stable: “It didn’t shake at all” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
• Clean (except when over-stuffed): “There were no ashes and smoke coming out of it” ; “Unlike the ‘mukyia’ [3 stone fire], there is a lot of smoke but with this one, the smoke is less. And the firewood I used to cook this was little” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
• Efficient: “The firewood I used, I only had to break one into pieces and I was able to prepare my banku but unlike the mukyia I have to use about 5 or 6” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2) ; “When we buy 5 cedi firewood and you use it for three days, this one will take about two months and over” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
• No significant concern or barrier expressed after the test
161
Envirofit – M5000: Value
Low price estimations:
Those who gave this stove a lower price compared it to the other two models tested during the focus groups
and considered that there was less technology in it: “The reason why we said this was that there is no fan” (FG,
wood, Ashanti, G1)
High price estimations:
High prices were first and foremost explained by the speed demonstrated by the product: “Because it’s powerful”
; “It makes cooking go faster” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1);
Fuel savings were also valued by participants: “I was very happy with it and the fact that I use less firewood to cook
makes me like it so much”
Price estimations for this stoves varied from 10 GHc to 50 GHc.
Price Estimations
Prices for this stove are in the same range as those observed for charcoal ICS. The
value of a good wood stove is considered similar to that of a good charcoal stove.
GHc Price Range Mean Price Median Price
Ashanti – Group 1 30 to 50 41 40
Ashanti – Group 2 10 to 20 16 20
The mean price was lower in the second group for all products and this can be explained bythe fact that
participants came from more remote areas, more of them were farmers. They tended to be less familiar with
manufactured products.
162
Envirofit – M5000: Key Findings
The Envirofit M5000 is a very impactful and very attractive product for rural wood users. Its
design is pleasant to look at and conveys most of the benefits consumers are looking for
in a cookstove: robustness, ease-of-use, portability, efficiency… Of course, there is a
status dimension to this product as well. However, this would be the case for most
advanced cookstoves among this target group as the baseline technology is 3-stone fire
for most of consumers.
There were some initial challenges linked to the adding of fuel to the stove during testing:
although women have been told that they shouldn’t use too much wood (and should avoid
big sticks) to start the fire, they struggle to understand what this exactly means and feel
tempted to insert several sticks into the fuel chamber before lighting the stove. However,
this problem was easily solved after a few words of additional explanation and the cooking
experience was quick and very pleasant for all.
Overall, this is a very convincing product and was the first choice for a majority of women in
both groups. The M5000 has a good potential for adoption among Ghanaian wood users
and doesn’t require significant improvement. It will be important to communicate heavily
on the lighting process through pictures, videos and live demonstrations to improve user
satisfaction.
163
Philips – HD4012
Consumer Segment: Tested with traditional wood
users only.
Specificities: Three samples of this product were tested in
each traditional wood group.
Introduction Text :
“This wood stove works with twigs, small wood pieces and
other dry biomass and needs to be filled from the top. It
incorporates a forced air entry at the top of the combustion
chamber thanks to an electric fan. This improves
combustion and reduces smoke. A button positioned at the
basis of the stove can be used to adjust the air flow. Never
fill more than half if you want to use the fan. The stove
should be charged on the grid or with a solar panel before
use. Once fully charged, the battery will last for 21 hours.
The body of the stove is made of stainless steel”.
This stove was tested with wood chips purchased from a
supermarket in Accra
164
Philips – HD4012: Spontaneous Assessment
Arouses curiosity (positive): A lot of questions “How
will you charge it” ; “Where will you put the plug?” (FG,
wood, Ashanti, G1) ; “To me, it is nice and attractive”
(FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
Very unique product: “The design itself have not been
seen before” ; “The button to make it fan” ; “Like an
aircon” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1)
Spontaneous Reactions Understanding
Anticipated Usage Expected Benefits
Participants needed some time to understand how this
stove operates: “Please I want to ask a question: after
charging the battery, do you still need to put firewood
inside to set fire?”; “Do you put the button off after
cooking?” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
Can cook most foods: “Because of the way the stands
are so it is strong enough for all cooking” (FG, Ash., G1)
Some minor concerns about robustness in the case of
banku (3 or 4 participants): “When I place my Banku on
it, it may not be able to hold the pot” (FG, Ashanti, G1)
Can be used indoor: “You can even use it in the room
because of the reduction in smoke” (FG, Ash., G2)
Can be used in poorly connected areas: “You will
charge it which will take you through some days” (FG,
wood, Ashanti, G1)
Clean/smokeless: ““When I compare it to the ‘mukyia’,
you have to take out the firewood from the fire to reduce
the heat. And a lot of smoke will emanate from the
firewood” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
Fuel savings: participants were confident that they
could find kindling to power this stove and thought it
would be economical “Madam, it will not consume much
fuel” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1)
Fast and effortless: “Once you set the fire and the
button is pressed, within minutes, the food will be ready
for you to eat… you will relax” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
165
Philips – HD4012: Detailed Pre-Test AssessmentThe Philips HD4012 is an attractive value proposition. The main benefits expected
from this stove are smoke reduction and ease of use (instant fire regulation)
• Nice design: “I am so excited seeing it that it’s nice”(FG, wood, Ashanti, G1)
• Regulator/electric fan: this feature is a strong driver as it conveys both smoke reduction and ease-of-use “What is fine about it is fact that you can regulate it up and down” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2) ; “When you are cooking rice, you can regulate it to be low. Unlike the ‘mukyia’, you have to remove all the firewood to decrease the intensity of the fire” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
• Stainless steel: While there were concerns about stainless metal and rust in the charcoal groups, this wasn’t the case in the wood groups “The metal is strong” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
• Metal handles (minor): some participants are worried that they will heat up during preparation “After the fire has heated, will it affect the handle too to be hot?” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1)
• Plastic base: arouses concerns about robustness “I think the metal makes it strong but with the rubber stand, I don’t think that will make it strong” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1)
166
Philips – HD4012: Observations & Improvements Observations while in use:
Lighting: This stove was particularly easy to light when
the respondents used kerosene. When the respondents
didn’t use kerosene, it was more challenging and the
respondents tried fanning the stove manually at first
(which didn’t work): “When I lighted the rubber, it
disappointed me for a while because it was little but
when it caught fire, it was ok. But I know the next time
I get a better rubber, it will be faster. And it made the
cooking faster” (FG, wood, Ashanti G2) ; “At the initial
stage we observed some smoke but after that, we
didn’t see any smoke” (FG, wood, Ashanti G1)
Refueling: When the stove runs short of fuel during the
cooking process it produces a dense black smoke due
to carbonization of the remaining char. Participants
don’t know how to react to this.
Electric fan: Some participants spontaneously pressed
the button but few (if any of them) tried to turn it to
adjust the flame until we told them to do so. When we
suggested that they could do so, they didn’t know in
which direction they should turn it.
Most participants liked to keep a very intense fire
throughout the preparation process, even when they
knew that they could regulate it.
Requested Improvements: There were no
improvements requested for this stove.
When the HD4012 runs short of wood, the remaining
char start carbonizing which produces an intense
black smoke. Respondents were unsettled by this
phenomenon and didn’t know how to adress it.
167
Philips – HD4012: Observations & Improvements
The participants who didn’t request
kerosene struggled to light the
stove with their usual fire starter
Participants understood how to
start the electric fan by pressing
on the button but few of them
tried to adjust the power of the fire
by turning the button until this was
suggested to them.
Once lit, all respondents had a
pleasant experience cooking with
this stove. Most of them kept a very
strong fire throughout the
preparation.
168
Philips – HD4012: Detailed Post-Test AssessmentThis stove was very positively assessed by respondents and delivers a lot benefits,
especially in terms of speed and fuel savings
• Fast: respondents were impressed by the speed with which the stove cooked their banku. It led them to think that this stove could replace gas “When you use it, it is very convenient and hastens what you are doing.”; “After pressing the button, the fire blazed more and so hastened my cooking of the Banku” ; “If I was preparing it at home, it wouldn’t be ready by now” ; “It cooked my banku faster” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1 & 2)
• Saves fuel/money: very credible after testing “It will save me money. What you will need for this is some pieces of wood which will not cost much”
• Clean: although there were some issues when the stove ran short of fuel, respondents considered it clean overall “It doesn’t provide smoke” ; “I didn’t see any smoke” (FG, wood, Ash., G1)
• Stable: “They were stable till the end” (FG, wood, Ash., G1)
• Easy to start/stop fire (with kerosene) : “The fact that it lights easily, your cooking becomes faster” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
•The handles are safe: respondents are reassured after testing the product “The handle wasn’t hot” ; “I held the handle and pulled it forward but I didn’t get burnt
•Difficult to light without kerosene.
•May not accommodate large pots (minor): “But I think this one is too small because in case am cooking something in a large quantity, I can use it” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G2)
169
Philips – HD4012: Value
Low price estimations:
A minority of respondents didn’t see an additional value in this stove compared to the Envirofit M5000,
especially in the second group where some women had difficulties to light it.
High price estimations:
The possibility to replace LPG with this stove leads to high price estimations : “It was faster for me than cylinders
and more valuable than it, so I believe it will save people money from the cost of cylinder and so it makes sense to
charge it this amount so it should be expensive” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1)
The electric fan also drives value: “The fact that there is a fan” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1)
Price estimations for this stoves varied from 8 GHc to 80 GHc. Dispersion in price
estimations show that respondents struggle to assess the value of this product
Price Estimations
A majority of respondents gave a high value to this stove (>30 GHc) which indicates
that willingness to pay for it would be high.
GHc Price Range Mean Price Median Price
Ashanti – Group 1 30 to 80 43 35
Ashanti – Group 2 8 to 30 18 15
As was already observed with the M5000 stove, the mean price was lower in the second group due to differences
in the respondents’ background. However, willingness to purchase this product is high overall: “We will also save
gradually to buy it”; “Can you tell us the price? so that we can start saving towards it” (FG, wood, Ashanti, G1 & G2)
170
Philips – HD4012 : Key FindingsThe Philips HD4012 received very good feedback from respondents who initially see it as a clean
and efficient product. Although women required significant explanation to understand how the
electric fan technology and the “top-lit” design work, there was no major concern raised about
this product during the initial evaluation phase. Metal handles and robustness of the plastic base
were two minor concerns which could be addressed in the future.
The cooking experience was positive overall but was affected by two issues. First, the
respondents who didn’t consider using kerosene struggled to light the stove. Second, a couple of
stoves ran out of fuel during the cooking phase and emitted a lot of black smoke until the
participants were able to refuel and restart them. Both problems occurred during the second
group which explains that the stove was less valued in this group (pricing exercise). However, all
of the respondents who tested this stove wished to go home with it despite these issues.
The post-test assessment was still very positive and showed that perceived benefits had slightly
changed with speed-of-use becoming the main perceived benefits while cleanliness and fuel
savings remain as significant secondary benefits.
Overall, the HD4012 convinced most respondents and shows very good potential for distribution
in the Ghanaian market. However, promoters of this product should seek solutions to avoid the
emission of black smoke during use either by training the user on how to anticipate refueling or
by altering the technology to avoid carbonization.
171
Specific Features Driving Additional Value
Wooden Handles Electric Fan Non-Stick or Stainless Material
All else being equal, respondents admit that they are prepared to pay a bit more for specific
features which add value to their product. This was in particular the case for the wooden
handles which elicited several positive comments. The extra price respondents declare being
willing to pay for this feature is however quite low (max 10 GHc). The comfort and speed-of-use
provided by an electric fan also creates extra willingness to pay and the conversations
conducted with the participants suggest that they would be prepared to pay an extra 10 to 20
GHc for this feature. Finally, the durability provided by good materials also deserves extra
money (10 to 20 GHc).
Value: 5 to 10 GHc Value: 10 to 20 GHc Value: 10 to 20 GHc
172
Philips – HD4012 : Key Findings Robust material quality: Across all stove categories and target groups, material quality was the
strongest driver. Participants were attracted to high-quality metal such as stainless steel or cast-iron.
Clay and plastic parts were polarizing because they are considered fragile. Some women will refuse to
buy a stove containing a clay insert because it is difficult to predict when the clay will break.
Speed-of-use: The target women also valued features or fuels which accelerate the cooking process.
Fuels which are easy to light and have a very efficient combustion process will increase the speed of
cooking and help save time. Some wood stoves incorporated an electric fan which provides similar
benefits. Two burner stoves were also positively assessed for similar reasons. On the other hand, some
stoves proved very difficult to light leading to wasted time and stress.
Ease-of-use: Features which improved the comfort and cleanliness of the cooking experience
generated positive reactions. The most frequently mentioned features were ash collectors preventing
ashes from spreading on the floor of the kitchen and wooden handles which add to the beauty and
ease-of-use of a stove. The stoves which were easy to transport and to use in different settings, both on
the floor and as table top stoves, were positively assessed. On the contrary, heavy, bulky products
received negative comments.
Fuel savings: All else equal, the interest of participants for a given stove increased significantly when
actual fuel savings could be easily noticed during the cooking tests. Being able to personally experience
or observe the fuel savings is key to activate this driver. What really drives interest is the actual increase
in efficiency delivered by the stove (for instance thanks to a smaller fuel chamber). On the other hand,
specific features which can be associated with efficiency improvements turned out to be only
moderately attractive. Indeed, most respondents consider air regulation doors or power regulation knobs
as convenient devices but few of them actually used them during the cooking process. Similarly, pot
skirts were considered as a good reason to believe that a stove would save fuel, but didn’t drive a lot of
interest and sometimes prevented cooks from using iron rods to prepare their banku.
Barriers to adoption: Finally, it proved difficult to prepare banku with some of the stoves either
because they had high edges which prevented cooks from using their iron rods or simply because their
design lacked stability. This was also a significant barrier to adoption. Smaller stoves also occasionally
Financial Services
Financial Literacy and Access to Financial Services
URBAN (Accra & Takoradi) RURAL (Ashanti)
A majority of respondents were fluent in English. Few were comfortable speaking English (all fieldwork in Twi)
Most/all women could read and write. Few women could write.
Most women counted in new GHC. Some women still counted in old GHC.
All had a bank account or a formal savings account with a microfinance institution (our recruitment criteria was that 50% of the respondents should have a bank account).
Few were using the services of a financial institution. Those who ran an income-generating activity were saving through informal services (susu contributions), sometimes combined with a bank account.
A significantly higher level of financial literacy and financial inclusion in urban areas
Most participants were unable to share details of the financial conditions for the financial services they had
used in the past: it was hard for them to manipulate the concept of interest rates, instead they would
mention the total cost of a loan with interest or the amount of interest earned on their savings for a given
period of time.
“They add some interest to your money. For instance, if you deposit 2,000 Ghana Cedis for 3 months, you
will have about 200 or 300 as interest” (Ethno, rural, Ashanti) ; “What happens, the interest rates and stuff
like that, I don't know” (Ethno, LPG, Accra) ; “I don't know but a friend told me that, if you take GHC 3,000
and you are going to pay within 3 years, they would deduct money that within those 3yrs you would have
paid GHC 6,000” (Ethno, charcoal traditional, Takoradi) .
Financial Literacy and Financial Inclusion – Urban Focus
A very developed retail finance sector: The women who were interviewed
used financial services from a very broad range of providers. The most
frequently mentioned networks were: Ghana Commercial Bank, Ecobank,
Agricultural Development Bank, Unibank, Barclays, Merchant Bank, and
ProCredit (MFI)
Consumers mix the services of different banks: Several respondents had
more than one bank account and combined the services of different banks.
Formal employment and financial inclusion seem to be correlated: One
factor which may explain why these women were using the services of a
bank is the fact that most urban interviewees were employed in the formal
sector and their salary was paid through their bank:
“I took a loan from Ecobank. That’s where I take my salary from” (Ethno,
charcoal traditional, Ashanti)
Borrowing money from the bank isn’t very common: Only a minority of
respondents had already taken a loan from their bank. These were either
taken to buy some land/for a construction project or to start an income-
generating activity, and involved relatively large sums :
“I borrowed 4,000 GHc, to build a house” (FG, charcoal traditional, Takoradi) ;
“We used the loan to buy land… We bought two for 3,500 GHc each” (Ethno,
charcoal ICS, Takoradi)
Bank vs. Microfinance Institutions
Banks have a better reputation than microfinance institutions
Commercial BanksMicrofinance Sector
(Financial service providers)
Ghana has 26 registered commercial banks
Commercial banks are seen as more affordable
than microfinance institutions.
Ghana Commercial Bank in particular was
mentioned very often and seems to enjoy a
good reputation:
“GCB is better than the private ones. The private ones,
the interest is higher” (Ethno, LPG, Takoradi)
There are more than 600 formal financial service
providers (rural & community banks, savings &
loans companies, FNGOs, credit unions)
The reputation of the sector has been affected by
bad collection practices…
“Those taking loans there, they did not take it easy at all. I
have a friend, how they collected the money, it has
collapsed her business” (Ethno, charcoal trad., Accra) ; “I
am afraid. I have a friend who couldn’t pay, she had a lot
of troubles” (FG, chracoal traditional, Ashanti)
… and by savings scams:
“At times, some operators run away with the contributors’
monies” (Ethno, wood traditional, Ashanti).
Financial Services Selection Criteria
Reputation: often based on relatives’ advice and
experience: I want to move from UBA to the rural bank …
My sister was saving there; she said the interest is good”
(Ethno, charcoal traditional, Takoradi)
Interest rate is only one of the key factors involved in the selection of a bank :
Decent interest rate: 15 to 25% over a few
months for a loan “I would be prepared to pay 100
Cedis of interest for a 600 Cedi loan” (Ethno, charcoal
trad., Takoradi)
Loan duration: “GCB gives loans with a long
duration” (Ethno, charcoal traditional, Accra)
Quick service and/or mobile service : “I chose
mine for the mobile services. The scratch card… You
enter 5 cedis and it will go into your account.” (FG,
charcoal traditional, Takoradi) ; “I chose HFC because
there were not many customers and when you go you
will not be in a long queue” (Ethno, charcoal ICS,
Takoradi)
Flexible payment terms: “GCB has no specific
payment schedule. You can reimburse when you are
ready” (Ethno, charcoal traditional, Accra)
Loan vs. Credit
All respondents saw a very clear difference between “loan” and “credit”
LOAN
Borrowing money from a formal financial
institution or from and individual
CREDIT
Purchase of goods with deferred payment,
usually from a door-to-door salesman
All respondents had purchased goods on credit
in the past, either clothes or home equipment.
This is an extremely common way of purchasing
goods.
Credit is considered more flexible, less stressful
than loans: there is always a way to find an
arrangement with the vendor in case of
problems
It’s an approach women are comfortable with:
“For a loan you will go to the bank and sign documents
but a credit is based on human relations. If I can’t repay,
I can discuss with the person” (Ethno, charcoal
traditional, Takoradi)
Few respondents had already taken loans from
a formal financial institution.
Taking a loan is negatively connoted for many
women. They were prepared to borrow from
relatives but would not borrow from a bank.
Formal loans are seen as risky, costly and a
source of stress:
“they tried convincing me to go in for a loan, I refused. I
work hard to get my money and I don’t want to use it on
loan. In fact, I don’t need it” (Ethno, wood traditional,
Ashanti) ; “My mum was like, "don't go and borrow from
anybody. Don't use money from anybody. I don't want
any embarrassment for my house" (Ethno, LPG, Accra)
Focus on Informal Payment Plans
Examples of products purchased on credit:
mirror, washing machine, ice chest box, rice cooker…
Credit offers often lead to “impulse” purchasing, although the interest rate charged by
door-to-door vendors can be very high
“I bought this rice cooker for 45
cedis on credit… I don’t use it
anymore. It burns the rice”
(Ethno, ICS, Takoradi)
Typical cost of buying on credit: clients often don’t realize that they have paid a lot in interest
For a cloth: 35 GHc to be paid over 7 weeks, including 10 GHc of interest (14%/month)
For a suitcase: 40 GHc to be paid over 2 months, including 5 GHc of interest (6%/month)
Most products are purchased from door-to-door vendors: not in
regular shops. This suggests that women are convinced by the
flexible payment terms offered and make a quick purchase
decision… which they sometimes regret !
Financial Services for Clean Cooking Solutions: Loans
A low-price point: Overall most women considered that charcoal/wood stoves were not expensive
enough to deserve specific financial services. They felt that they could purchase whatever they needed
from their current income/savings and would not go through the hassle of subscribing to a specific
financial service for this kind of good:
“If I want to buy a new stove, I have the asset” (Ethno, charcoal tradional, Accra) . “No, not a loan. It’s not expensive. I
mean, it’s a lot of money but not enough” (FG, charcoal traditional, Accra)
Non-productive assets: Although efficient cookstoves can achieve fuel savings, all women see them
as non-productive assets and think that borrowing to buy a cookstove would be a waste of money:
“It doesn’t make sense to take a loan for something that makes no profit” (Ethno, charcoal ICS, Acrra) ; ““If it’s for
business ok. Otherwise, it’s very hard for you to refund the money” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
Focus on high-end or large-size products: Offering loan services for stoves only felt relevant for
bigger, more sophisticated, and hence more expensive products like LPG stoves:
“500 GHc is a good amount. I would be interested in a loan of this amount” (Ethno, charcoal ICS, Takoraid) ; “I would
also be ok to take a loan for the cylinder” (Ethno, charcoal traditional , Takoradi)
Offering loan services through financial institutions to ease the purchase of clean
cookstoves isn’t relevant for the vast majority of the targeted women
Financial services for cookstoves should not be referred to as “loans” and should not
be marketed directly by financial institutions
Financial Services for Clean Cooking Solutions: Credit
Business as usual: the type of financial service women are used to for purchasing products from categories similar to cookstoves:
“I prefer credit to loan because there is no interest in the case of a credit. Sometimes they put a bit on it but it’s not in the name of interest”
(Ethno, ICS, Takoradi) ; “You see the product and you don’t want it to go back to the owner: it’s a motivation” (FG, wood traditional, Ashanti)
Flexible: the most time efficient financial solution as they don’t have to visit an office to make their payments:
“There should be someone who comes around and collects the money”
(FG, ICS, Accra)
No stress: a credit is less formal (and less risky) than a bank loan
“You don’t need to go to the bank and fill all these forms” (Ethno, charcoal ICS, Accra)
Typical financial conditions:
Acceptable duration: 2 to 3 months
Credit financial terms: 20 to 25 % interest rate
Convenient payment system : home-visits, mobile payment
“If the stove costs 20 you could charge 25… The expensive ones would charge 30” (FG, trad, Takoradi)
Credit or payment plans were the preferred option for most women
Financial Services for Clean Cooking Solutions : Savings
Saving is a common activity and doesn’t seem as stressful as borrowing from a financial institution
“Yes, it would be like Susu, it’s good !” (FG, charcoal traditional, Accra) ; “That one I know I don't owe you. I've not taken the thing yet. So when I finish paying the thing becomes mine. That one I more comfortable with that than taking a loan.
That is my personal opinion” (Ethno, urban, Accra, LPG)
Three key barriers
1. Consumers have to wait before receiving the product.
2. There is a risk that the savings officer/susu collector leaves with your money.
3. Many were already saving and felt that they didn’t need a new savings product for a cookstove.
Although they were not the preferred option, targeted saving products were
acceptable to most women
Summary of Key FindingsUrban middle-income and high-income charcoal users enjoy a good level of access to financial
services. They are served by several financial institutions and trust commercial banks in
particular to take care of their savings. However, borrowing money from a bank or an MFI isn’t
common among the target groups as this type of commitment conveys very negative
associations (stress, harassment, high cost). Buying products on credit on the other hand is a
familiar type of arrangement which all respondents are comfortable with.
Rural wood users are significantly less financially integrated into the financial market: few of them
have access to formal savings services from a bank or a microfinance institution, even less so
from loan services.
When it comes to offering financial services to help consumers invest in clean cooking solutions,
formal loan services offered through financial institutions aren’t attractive, in part because
domestic cookstoves are seen as non-productive assets and in part because the price point that
respondents consider for such products doesn’t make a loan necessary. The most attractive
services are by far “payment plans”, referred to as “credit” by most Ghanaians. These are seen
as more flexible and less risky than a loan. Although women know that vendors charge them
more than the cash price for products purchased on credit, they don’t see this as a barrier to
buying a non-productive good on credit.
In order appeal to Ghanaian women, financial services for clean cookstoves should seek to mimic
the principles of the traditional “credit”: limited paperwork, flexible payment terms, no formal
interest, convenient payment collection mechanism…
184
Communication and Distribution Channels
185
Advertising
There appears to be an opportunity to use advertising, particularly on TV to promote
clean cookstoves.
Gyapa advertising has had a significant impact on respondents:although the Gyapa advertising campaign dated back a long time ago in the mind of most respondents, many women explained that Gyapa adverts had attracted their attention to the product
“I saw the advert on television […].The advert typified its comfort especially with banku and assorted dishes. The economical nature of it was also a factor because it was said to use less charcoal. […]The advert said the old stove
rusts easily and it is true from my experience. So I felt the advert was sincere.” (Ethno, wood, Ashanti)
TV appears to have more impact than radio: almost all urban and some rural respondents had a TV at home and felt that a TV advert would be more appealing than a radio advert to them
“Yes, but the radio one is not as interesting as the TV. The thing when you see it, it is more appealing than hearing it” (Ethno, ICS, Accra) ; “I trust TV more. If it’s on TV, it has gone through a process” (Ethno, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
There are currently no impactful home appliance ads : most of the impactful/appealing messages which respondents could quote top of mind belonged to the food category (rice brands, tomato sauce, Indomie…). Respondents appreciate messages focused on happiness in the family and on the pleasure of serving good food to one’s loved ones in particular:
“I enjoy the dancing and singing in the uncle Sam rice and Onga shrimp adverts because it gives a warm feeling and portrays happiness in the family”
(Ethno, wood, Ashanti).
Most respondents have a daily
access to TV
186
Other Influences
The target women remain risk averse despite their relatively comfortable economic condition. Word
of mouth through friends and relatives remains by far the most trusted source of information
Advice from friends: almost all participants mentioned their friends and relatives as their main influence when it comes to making a purchase decision
“They have used it. They can testify” (FG, ICS, Accra) ; “I bought a blender because a friend advised me to buy it… The brand is Master Chef” (Ethno, Trad, Takoradi) ; “My cousin, he knows about things”
(FG, trad, Takoradi)
Consumer will often talk with someone who has tested a product before taking the step to purchase it: “Since I know how this one works, I will take this. The person who doesn’t know about this one is likely going to take Gyapa” (FG, wood traditional, Ashanti)
Husband’s opinion: The husband isn’t necessarily the main decision maker when it comes to making a purchase decision for home appliances, especially in the case of working women who generate their own income and have more autonomy in their purchase decisions. However, respondents would often seek their husband’s opinion on a given brand or product before making a purchase:
“I'll first take the decision with my husband that I want to buy this thing. Maybe he'll tell me, "I don't have knowledge about it so ask your friend or ask Millicent." Then we go window shopping.”
(Ethno, charcoal ICS, Takoradi).
187
Distribution Channels (1/2)
Traditional markets: the main local market is the place most spontaneously mentioned by most participants when asked where they would go to purchase a new stove. These retail centers are the location where clean cookstove promoters are most likely to meet their target population. In Accra, some of the markets which were frequently visited by respondents included Agbogbloshie, Makola, and Mallam Atta:
“I will go to Agbogbloshie; they have different varieties, shapes and the prices too is better over there ” (Ethno, charcoal traditional, Accra)
Electrical goods stores: department stores and specialized electrical goods stores are visited quite often by the urban targets (charcoal traditional and charcoal ICS). They are the main points of sale for bigger home equipment (fridge, LPG stoves) along with second-hand resellers. The three main networks mentioned are Melcom, Binatone, and Tuman. Some of them already offer payment facilities to their clients:
“Tuman. If you are a salaried worker, on the government payroll and you want something like that, you just have to take your payslip and they would give you
something like that”. (Ethno, charcoal trad, Takoradi) ;
Three main types of networks emerged as potential distribution/marketing channels
for clean cooking solutions: traditional markets, department stores or electrical goods
stores and health centers
Binatone advertising focused
on “ healthy living”
188
Distribution Channels (2/2)
Health Centers: Health centers and hospitals came up very
often throughout the fieldwork as locations where young women
receive advice on health related behaviors such as nutrition or
disease prevention. Health professionals are very good points of
contact with young mums in particular because they visit them
very frequently for the weighing of their babies. The advice
received sometimes leads to a decision to purchase a product, as
in the case of mosquito nets, especially if retail points are located
close to the hospital:
[About the mosquito net] “It was in 2004 when I was pregnant… Someone
spoke to me about it… A nurse… we have been using it since I was
pregnant ” (Ethno, charcoal ICS, Accra)
Health professionals could become
cookstove ambassadors, as they have
been for mosquito nets or toothpaste
in the past.
While traditional markets are good for reaching the masses, department stores or
electrical goods stores could be effective channels to offer payment plans for high
end cookstoves and health centers could be used to target young mums
189
Brands
“I was told Phillips things are good” (Ethno, urban, Accra, LPG). ; “I chose Sharp because we use it at work” (Ethno, ICS,
Takoradi) ; “I have a Kenwood mixer. It was brought from abroad… People have told me it’s good” (Ethno, LPG, Takoradi)
; “We have brands that last long: Master Chief, Philips…” (Ethno, trad, Takoradi)
The target women are very sensitive to brand names, especially for products in the
electrical appliance category. Some of the brands which enjoy good notoriety and
seem to be trusted include: Sharp, Philips, Kenwood, and Samsung.
Partnering with a renowned brand can attract more women to clean cooking
technologies. While the Philips label wasn’t noticed during the presentation of the
Philips stove in the focus groups, this is mostly due to the fact that most rural
participants weren’t literate. This brand name seems to have a lot of appeal among
literate urban women.
190
Testing Communication IdeasIn order to assess the relevance of various communication messages for the target groups, short
communication ideas were presented to the respondents during the focus groups. Due to the
amount of content covered during the groups, only 3 ideas were tested. Each of them revolves
around a different benefit :
1. Savings : The ability to save fuel and money thanks to improved cookstoves
2. Modernity: The pleasure of cooking with comfortable, high-quality equipment
3. Health: Enjoying a cleaner and healthier kitchen thanks to smoke reductions
The ideas were tested in 5 of the 6 focus groups conducted during the fieldwork phase: 2 in
Accra, 2 in Takoradi, and 1 in the Ashanti region. Because the focus group discussions with the
rural wood users took place in Twi, it more challenging to test communication material which
had been developed in English. The communication ideas were visually presented to the
participants on a white panel and read out loud twice before the moderator collected
spontaneous reactions. The moderator then went through a third reading to collect detailed
reactions.
Two of the three communication ideas had to be revised after the focus groups conducted in Accra
because some of the wording seemed to be polarizing and affected the respondents
understanding of the main message.
191
IDEA 1 – “Savings”
Cooking fuel is becoming more expensive every day. Our range of New
Cookstoves has been specifically designed in laboratory to improve the transfer of
heat from the stove to the pot. These New Cookstoves allow you to save up to
40% on your cooking fuel budget.
Tested with all focus groups
192
IDEA 1 – “Savings”: Evaluation
Messages focused on fuel savings are very appealing to the target consumers
Spontaneous reactions: a very impactful and very enticing message. Arouses desire to discover the
product
“I like these words” (FG, ICS, Accra) ; “It has convinced me a lot to try the product” (FG, ICS, Accra) ; “I like
this one. I will buy this one” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Key take out: consumers understand that they will save fuel and money thanks to the promoted product:
“it allows you to save 40%” (FG, trad, Accra) ; “the saving of my fuel” (FG, trad, Accra) ; “save money… this
rings a bell” (FG, ICS, Accra)
Relevance: very relevant for all respondents. This message resonates with their day-to-day life
experiences and shows some empathy for their concerns
“The mentioning of how cooking has become expensive draws people’s attention to it.” (FG, ICS, Takoradi) ;
“The examples as it states the current condition of gas being expensive” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi) ; “I
trust them” (FG, ICS, Accra)
Overall assessment: positive. Most respondents feel that this message would convince them to buy the
product:
“Like I am supposed to buy GHC 10.00 worth of fuel and because of this fuel I will have to now buy GHC
60.00, of course I will rush for this offer” (FG, charcoal ICS, Tak) ; “It can sell” (FG, trad, Accra) ; “Good
job” (FG, trad, Accra)
193
IDEA 1 – “Savings”: Detailed Assessment
Cooking fuel is becoming more expensive every day. Our range of New
Cookstoves has been specifically designed in laboratory to improve the transfer of
heat from the stove to the pot. These New Cookstoves allow you to save up to
40% on your cooking fuel budget.
• Strong reason to believe in the
message: “Also the laboratory aspect
gives the idea of it being tested and
approved that there’s indeed a 40%
percent reduction of fuel” (FG, ICS, Tak)
• Credible and impactful way to state
the main benefit: “By the mere fact that
it saves 40% of fuel, everybody will
rush to really experiment” (FG, ICS,
Tak)
194
IDEA 2.1 – “Modern”
“The old cookstoves many of us are using are ugly, rusty and make cooking feel
like a more of a chore. Our range of innovative New Cookstoves are well-
designed and made from the best materials. Modern equipment makes cooking a
pleasure”.
Tested with 2 focus groups in Accra only
195
IDEA 2.1 – “Modern”: Evaluation
The main message wasn’t appreciated by respondents due to negative wording
Spontaneous reactions: this message arouse negative feelings among respondents. Many felt
offended by the negative wording in the initial insight
“I think I have problem with that you can’t tell me my coal pot is rusty and all that. That is what I can afford
that’s why am using so I think that rusty and ugly as it is a bit offensive” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “It
seems like you are damaging our products” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra)
Key take out: this message is received as an aggressive attempt at selling a product. Respondents feel
that their way of life is being criticized
“I would just think oh, they just want me to buy it” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra) ; “It should state: come and try
our products” (FG, charcoal ICS, Accra)
Relevance: the content of the message is considered true but consumers don’t want to hear it
“it’s true but at that moment that is what the person has” (FG, trad, Accra)
Overall assessment: very negative. Most respondents would ignore this message
“If you say something like this I won’t buy it” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra)
196
IDEA 2.1 – “Modern”: Detailed Assessment
“The old cookstoves many of us are using are ugly, rusty and make cooking feel
like a more of a chore. Our range of innovative New Cookstoves are well-
designed and made from the best materials. Modern equipment makes cooking a
pleasure”.
• True but not relevant, the proposed
stoves aren’t solving this problem: “The
rusty part… I think that these will rust as
well, so I was expecting something
different” (FG, ICS, Accra)
• Off-putting: “that is not the right
words you are supposed to use” (FG,
ICS, Accra) ; “It sounds offensive” (FG,
ICS, Accra)
197
IDEA 2.2 – “Modern”
“It is nice to have a well furnished kitchen were one can cook comfortably and
invite their friends. Our range of innovative New Cookstoves are well-designed
and made from the best materials. Modern equipment makes cooking a pleasure”.
Tested with 2 focus groups in Takoradi and 1 in Ashanti
198
IDEA 2.2 – “Modern”: Evaluation
This version of the communication idea was less off putting than the first version, but
the proposed benefits seemed vague to respondents and failed to convince them
Spontaneous reactions: this version of the message wasn’t offensive but lacked impact
“This is ok…” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Key take out: most participants understood that the proposed product would make cooking more
comfortable and more pleasant, the wording “best materials” wasn’t sufficient to convey other benefits
such as status or durability
“Makes cooking a pleasure” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi) ; “The modern aspect” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Relevance: this message didn’t feel very relevant to respondents as it lacked as strong benefit,
“modern” isn’t specific enough to convey benefits. The idea that cooking would become a pleasure didn’t
sound particularly true
Overall assessment: low interest for this concept among all targets.
199
“It is nice to have a well furnished kitchen were one can cook comfortably and
invite their friends. Our range of innovative New Cookstoves are well-designed
and made from the best materials. Modern equipment makes cooking a pleasure”.
IDEA 2.2 – “Modern”: Detailed Assessment
• Arouses positive feelings: “I like the
word comfortable. Anybody can come to
the kitchen and I’ll be happy if the
person comes” (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
• Positive but too broad. Try replacing with “long
lasting” or “robust ”.
• Positive but needs to
be combined with more
specific benefits.
200
IDEA 3.1 – “Health”
“Old cookstoves make a lot of smoke. They leave your kitchen dirty, your eyes
itchy and your throat scratchy. New Cookstoves help to reduce smoke emissions
while cooking for a cleaner cough-free kitchen”.
Tested with 2 focus groups in Accra only
201
IDEA 3.1 – “Health”: Evaluation
This message is complex and conveys two very different benefits: health and
cleanliness. As a result it was polarizing and did not convince all the respondents
Spontaneous reactions: Some respondents received the message positively because they focused
their reading on the words referring to cleanliness. Others were less attracted to this idea because they
paid more attention to the references to smoke and health concerns
“I don’t agree with the smoke part, it depends on the fuel we use” (FG, charcoal trad, Accra) ; “It’s nice to
think that your kitchen will be clean” (FG, ICS, Accra)
Key take out: there was a dual message in this communication idea. Some respondents expected that
the proposed product would make their kitchen cleaner. But for many respondents the main message
was that their eyes and throat wouldn’t hurt anymore.
Relevance: the part of the message which focused on health was quite polarizing and didn’t seem very
relevant to some
“It makes the kitchen dirty and your eyes itchy, yes” (FG, trad, Accra) ; “Old people won’t agree that their
eyes were itchy” (FG, ICS, Accra)
Overall assessment: positive for those who understand that the main benefit is cleanliness, irrelevant to
the women who think that the main benefit is health.
202
IDEA 3.1 – “Health”: Detailed Assessment
“Old cookstoves make a lot of smoke. They leave your kitchen dirty, your eyes
itchy and your throat scratchy. New Cookstoves help to reduce smoke emissions
while cooking for a cleaner cough-free kitchen”.
• Positive reactions linked to cleanliness:
“We like the last part of the sentence”
(FG, ICS, Accra) ; “It’s nice to think that
your kitchen will be clean” (FG, ICS,
Accra)
• Offensive • Polarizing. Some
respondents think it’s not
true in the case of charcoal
• Offensive
203
IDEA 3.2 – “Health”
“We all love our traditional coal pots but they make a lot of smoke. They leave our
kitchen dirty, our eyes itchy and our throat scratchy. New Cookstoves help to
reduce smoke emissions while cooking for a cleaner cough-free kitchen”
Tested with 2 focus groups in Takoradi and 1 in Ashanti
204
IDEA 3.2 – “Health”: Evaluation
This message was positively assessed although some negative wording could still be
removed to improve consumer feedback
Spontaneous reactions: less polarizing than the first version. Arouses positive reactions.
“I think this is nice because it states the mistakes or bad disadvantages of the old coal pot and comes out
with the new technological ideal. So I think this one is okay (FG, ICS, Takoradi)
Key take out: a cookstove which will help consumers keep their kitchen neat, tidy
Relevance: the message about cleanliness contained in this communication idea resonates with the
respondents’ concerns
“It’s true… about old coal pots” (FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi) ; “Yes it’s true. It will make our kitchen dirty”
(FG, charcoal trad, Takoradi)
Overall assessment: positive. Cleanliness is a relevant and attractive benefit for respondents.
205
“We all love our traditional coal pots but they make a lot of smoke. They leave our
kitchen dirty, our eyes itchy and our throat scratchy. New Cookstoves help to
reduce smoke emissions while cooking for a cleaner cough-free kitchen”
IDEA 3.1 – “Health”: Detailed Assessment
• Positive reactions linked to cleanliness:
“It doesn’t dirty your kitchen” (FG, trad,
Takoradi)
• Still slightly offensive: “I find the
comment about it making the kitchen
dirty as offensive because the person
using coal pot will lose by such
statement” (FG, ICS, Takoradi).
206
Communication Ideas: Summary of Key Findings
The communication idea which focused on “savings” as a key benefit was by far the most
relevant and the most appealing to a majority of respondents. It was selected as the preferred
idea in 4 out of the 5 focus groups. Consumers like the clear and concrete benefit in this idea.
The promise to save 40% on fuel consumption sounds true to them and has the potential to drive
purchase. Idea 2 : “Health” was also positively assessed after the initial version had been
revised to remove negative wording. However, it seems that the segments of the message which
referred to cleanliness had more appeal than the parts which focused on health. It would be
useful to test a message fully centered on cleanliness in future research. The last communication
idea, focused on modernity and comfort, had low appeal. It was too broad and did not convey a
benefit that respondents could clearly identify.
Another learning from the communication ideas is that the traditional coal pot is a valued
element of the respondents’ environment and traditions. Although consumers are aware of their
limitations, they like their coal pots and feel personally criticized when the coal pot is negatively
depicted in communication work.
All in all, it seems clear that “savings” has the highest potential as a communication platform
among the tested ideas. It would be useful to test it alongside other benefit areas which were not
included in the communication section of this project but were uncovered as powerful drivers
during the ethnographic work. These include: durability, portability and time-saving.
Confidntial 207
Final Conclusions and Recommendations
Confidntial 208
Promoting Clean Cookstoves and Fuels in Ghana:
Final Conclusion
Cookstoves are not a priority investment for women because they generally feel they
already have something that works for them (most often an old coal pot). They aspire first
and foremost to the acquisition of a microwave, a freezer or a blender or to improve their
kitchen’s layout. There is no clear single-minded cookstove benefit that women are
spontaneously looking for and that their current stoves are not delivering.
However, upon probing, there are several instances where women might be willing to
trade up to a new cookstove if they can be convinced that it will address a combination of
their unmet needs/desires for an improved cooking experience:
1. They are receptive to products that can help them to cook with greater ease and
speed, or which enable them to diversify their cuisine (grilling, baking).
2. They are drawn to products that reflect favorably upon their status.
3. They are also sensitive to the idea of saving money on fuel. Although this benefit is
not top of mind, a positive product experience shifts it upwards in their priority
hierarchy.
These conclusions are valid for all the key targets, be they wood stove users, traditional
coal pot users or Gyapa users, and even for LPG users. Indeed LPG stove owners tend to
use their stoves only punctually due to price, safety and fuel availability issues. They are on
the lookout for alternatives and also use coal pots intensely.
Confidntial 209
Promoting Clean Cookstoves and Fuels in Ghana:
Proposed Strategy (1/2)
The key findings from the research suggest three possible positioning routes to win target women over:
Option 1: Fast and Easy
Functional Benefit: Ease and Speed. Emotional benefit: less stress + pride in caring well for family
Key insight : My days are quite busy. I am constantly on the move to get everything done for my work and my home. But I don’t want to compromise when it comes to making good food for my family
Benefit: Clean cookstoves are designed to help busy moms cook delicious meals more easily and efficiently
RTB: Quick starter lights easily, Heat retention system cooks food more quickly and efficiently
Option 2: Clean and Prestigious
Functional benefit: Look and cook better. Emotional benefit: prestige
Key insight: clean We spend a lot of time preparing and cooking food. It is nice to have a clean kitchen with modern equipment that is both decorative and pleasant to use.
Benefit: Clean cookstoves are a must for the modern household. They reflect your status and help keep your kitchen neat.
RTB: Made with the latest technology and materials; the new fuel/ash collector doesn’t leave blackened pots or ashes behind so cleaning up is a breeze.
Confidntial 210
Promoting Clean Cookstoves and Fuels in Ghana:
Proposed Strategy (2/2)
Option 3: Smart Buyer
Functional Benefit: Efficiency and Value. Emotional benefit: feel like a smart shopper
Key insight: There is nothing more satisfying than making a smart purchase that we can
enjoy for years
Benefit: Clean cookstoves are the smartest investment you can make for your kitchen.
They save you time, money and they are ultra-durable
RTB: Made with high quality/long lasting materials ; patented efficient heating system has
been designed in laboratory to improve the transfer of heat from the stove to the pot.
These New Cookstoves allow you to save up to 40% on your cooking fuel budget.
For all the proposed communication strategies, reassurance on weight, durability,
stability and safety should be provided as background to the main message. Product
aesthetics must also be suggested through well-selected visuals.
Confidntial 211
Promoting Clean Cookstoves and Fuels in Ghana:
Key Product Features (1/2)
The feedback collected during the product tests and the ethnographic interviews
suggests the following priorities in terms of product improvement and/or new offers:
Invest in long-lasting materials: This is by far the most important purchase criteria and
creates willingness to pay for cookstoves. Quality materials convey both durability and
prestige. The weight of the selected materials or at least of the final product, is crucial:
cookstoves should be heavy enough to suggest quality and robustness, but still light enough
to be easily transported during and after cooking. It is important to visualize aesthetics and
solidity of materials on all communications/packs as this is a highly important purchase
factor.
Examples: Consumers value robust metals, “non-stick”, brushed or stainless surfaces.
Wooden parts are also a plus.
Invest in insulation systems: The study showed that clay was an attractive but polarizing
insulation material. Alternatives which could convey the same benefits without arousing
concerns about the robustness of the stove would have a good market potential.
Example: autoclaved aerated concrete.
Promote “quick starter”, “easy regulation” and “2 burner” technologies: The target women
like their cooking to be fast and effortless. Technologies which speed the lighting process,
can heat two pots at a time or allow them to adjust fire power instantly are highly valued.
Examples: electric fan, ethanol powered devices, 2 burner charcoal stove.
Confidntial 212
Promoting Clean Cookstoves and Fuels in Ghana:
Key Product Features (2/2) Offer features which can increase the versatility of a stove: Respondents like to diversify their
recipes.
Examples: grill, charcoal oven…
Develop portable/transferable technologies: Stoves which are easy to move around the
courtyard and even better to travel with, appeal to consumers.
Examples: handles, foldable parts, transportation bag...
Promote packages including improved cookstove and kitchen cabinet: the kitchen cabinet is
the single most important kitchen improvement for many women.
Examples: cookstove integrated in a kitchen cabinet, cabinet with specific space to use
cookstove…
Confidntial 213
Promoting Clean Cookstoves and Fuels in Ghana:
Distribution
The study uncovered two key distribution/marketing channels which deserve to be explored alongside traditional channels (markets):
1. Appliance/Electronics stores: The target groups visit these stores on a frequent basis and trust them when it comes to purchasing high-technology products for the kitchen. Higher-end cookstoves could be promoted through these networks. Appliance stores have several strengths which could be strategic for clean cookstoves: a well-controlled and well-coordinated network of retail points, ability to conduct their own marketing operations, and already existing payment-plan services for their clients.
2. Health Centers and Hospitals: Health is not a priority message for positioning clean cookstoves. However, the important role of influencers that health professionals play in these women’s lives can make it a relevant secondary message in relation with a marketing strategy which would be implemented through health centers. Health professionals can underline that cookstoves allow women to cook and eat healthier. Cookstoves should be retailed close to the health centers for such a strategy to be successful.
Confidntial 214
Promoting Clean Cookstoves and Fuels in Ghana:
Financial Services
When it comes to offering financial services to help consumers invest in clean cooking solutions, payment plans should be the primary financing vehicle. These are seen as more flexible and less risky than a loan. In order to be appealing to Ghanaian women, financial services for clean cookstoves should seek to mimic the principles of the traditional “credit”: limited paperwork, flexible payment terms, no formal interest, convenient payment collection mechanism… Cookstove promoters should therefore avoid reference to interest rates, and rather emphasize monthly payments. Payment plans could be offered in partnership with a leading department store or specialized appliance store. Targeted savings programs could also be developed but must reassure on the credibility of the institution, should ideally provide quick collection mechanisms through mobile payment services.
Confidntial 215
Appendix
Confidntial 216
Glossary Ampesi: boiled yam/plantain/cocoyam/cassava with stew, kondomir or palm-nut soup
Chop money: housekeeping money
Fufu: pounded cassave or yam and plantain
Gari: mashed cassava
ICS: improved cookstove
Kenkey: fermented corn dough, wrapped in corn or plantain leaves and steamed. Fante kenkey is
cooked in banana leaves. Ga kenkey is wrapped in the husks of the maize.
Koko: fermented maize porridge
Kontombre: cocoyam leaves
Milo: chocolate and malt powder – Nestlé product
Mukiya: 3-stone fire
Omo Tuo: rice balls
Susu: traditional savings system
Tombrown: porridge made from maize flour
Nyaduaa: garden eggs
Thank youAdded Value- Strategic marketing that works [email protected]
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