Belgian researchers have given the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 50,000 electric pressure cookers to reduce charcoal revenues going to the country’s armed groups.
The Belgian University of Antwerp is distributing 50,000 electric pressure cookers in eastern DRC to reduce local reliance on charcoal for cooking, a fuel whose production and trade are linked to armed groups operating in the region, says the Belgian news agency Belga.
The project is led by the Institute of Development Policy (IOB) at the University of Antwerp. It follows a pilot programme where 1,600 households near Virunga National Park in the DRC’s North Kivu province also received electric pressure cookers.
Electricity access in eastern DRC remains limited, but parts of Goma and surrounding areas are connected to local hydropower infrastructure. According to Belga, a new hydropower plant has recently been completed, making wider use of electric pressure cookers technically possible.
The researchers focus on links between energy use, conflict, and environmental protection. The initiative will be expanded over the next three years.
In eastern DRC, most households cook with charcoal, locally known as makala. Charcoal is widely available and does not require reliable electricity. It is produced by cutting trees and burning wood, then sold in the region’s cities such as Goma, with an estimated population of two million people.
Charcoal production involves cutting trees and converting wood into fuel, often within protected areas. Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws reports around two-thirds of the charcoal used in the region is produced illegally in Virunga National Park, contributing to deforestation and threatening wildlife habitats.
The charcoal trade is also closely linked to the region’s armed conflict. According to background information from worldrainforests.com, armed groups active in eastern Congo tax charcoal production and transport, using these revenues to finance their operations. These levies increase prices for local consumers and embed everyday household energy use in the conflict economy.
To reduce reliance on charcoal, the Antwerp researchers distributed electric pressure cookers to randomly selected households. The appliances cook food more quickly by using steam pressure and require less electricity than traditional electric stoves.
“Globally, more than two billion people depend on biomass as fuel for cooking,” said Marijke Verpoorten, a professor of development economics at the University of Antwerp and senior researcher at its Institute of Development Policy, which is leading the project.
“We assumed that the project would have positive environmental effects,” Verpoorten told Het Laatste Nieuws. “Our analyses show that around 25 per cent of meals were prepared with the electric pressure cookers. As a result, charcoal use fell by 34 per cent.”
The shift also had an economic impact. “An average household in Goma saves almost six dollars per month,” Verpoorten said. “That is a significant amount in the region.”
According to Belga, the researchers believe the effects could go beyond household savings. “If we can scale up this project, it could lead to less deforestation, which would have a positive effect on the habitat of mountain gorillas,” Verpoorten said, adding “It could also mean less income for armed groups.”
The researchers stress electric cooking is not feasible everywhere. However, where electricity is available, they argue it can reduce charcoal consumption, lower household costs, and weaken one source of income for armed groups.
