Charcoal Production and Consumption Value Chain in Western Tanzania

The Government of Tanzania is implementing a five year project called “Mainstreaming Sustainable Forest Management in the Miombo Woodlands of Western Tanzania”. The project goal is to secure ecosystems and biodiversity values while providing a buffer to the Congolian Rain Forests ensuring food security and sustainable livelihoods. The objective of the assignment was to conduct market research on the charcoal production trade and consumption value chain that will enable the development of a comprehensive policy on the charcoal value chain for the miombo woodlands of Western Tanzania. By end of 2012 the population consuming charcoal in Tanzania mainland was 11.12 million people that consumed 2333743 tonnes of charcoal. The market value of the charcoal consumed in 2012 was around TZS 981.6 billion that provided employment opportunities to 224727 people mainly in the rural areas. However the supply potential of charcoal in Western Tanzania is declining rapidly due to unsustainable management of forest resources hence contributing to deforestation climate change and loss of sustainable socio-economic development opportunities to the community.