Efficient cook stoves have been an important policy focus of international development efforts
to address negative health and environmental problems associated with traditional cooking
practices. However, major emphasis has been on ensuring initial acceptance of efficient
stoves, overlooking the fact that some of the disseminated stoves are used less regularly or even
abandoned. In this study, we examine factors that influence the level of use of efficient stoves. The key lesson is that accelerating sustainable adoption of efficient stoves require holistic approach
targeting not only dissemination but also addressing socio-cultural and capacity barriers
to sustainable use of these stoves and using them as business ventures for groups of households.
Further, results shows that improved cook stoves designed with efficient business
models have the potential to transform sustainable livelihoods and vibrant microenterprises at
local level where raw materials can easily be reproduced
