CIRAD: study on domestic combustibles

CIRAD is currently conducting a study on the use of domestic combustibles, whose priority topic issues include the fiscal, economic, technological and legal actions and instruments used to improve the exploitation, commercialization and processing conditions of domestic combustibles. In its last report, CIRAD noted that 90% of the global domestic combustible in Madagascar consisted of woods as a source of energy. Actually, the use of woods as a source of energy is still very widely practiced in Madagascar, and for many people living in the capital woods are vital commodities.

The high prices of fossil fuels constitute one of the major impediments for the local population, both rural and urban, to stick to using woods as a primary source of energy. Thus, the use of fossil products like the butane gas by the most of the Malagasy households remains illusory as only the rich and well-off families can so far afford it. A portion of the global domestic combustible relating to energy consumption shows a reverse tendency compared to the rise of gas prices. To this regard, CIRAD proposed to conduct a serious study of the case for more understanding and to bring along sustainable solutions to the issue of energy consumption.