Overview of the project

Chad has a strong agricultural potential; large fields of cotton, rice, and sesame are cultivated, but the country was at risk of losing large areas of forest cover. One of the reasons for this is the high dependence on wood and charcoal for daily activities, such as cooking and farming.

The Chadian government banned the production, distribution and use of charcoal in December 2008. This measure was imposed to combat deforestation and global warming, but without providing alternatives. The population turned to firewood or continued to use charcoal illegally. More than 97% of the population has no access to electricity on a regular basis, and alternatives are limited and often unaffordable, and more than 90% of farmers are unfamiliar with natural fertilizers.

Charcoal has been difficult to find since it was banned by the government. Raw wood burns less efficiently, requiring more wood to meet the needs. The fumes produced by burning wood and charcoal contain irritating pollutants, which lead to respiratory infections. Children and women are particularly affected because they spend a lot of time near cooking fires. They travel long distances to collect wood, exposing themselves to abduction and rape. The government has set up a reforestation programme, but without establishing a production line for good quality seedlings.

ENVODEV proposes solutions to replace charcoal with locally produced fuel: green charcoal and biochar. Its production requires a lot of readily available resources, which are mostly usually destroyed. The green charcoal is offered at an affordable price, which helps to alleviate the energy crisis in Chad.

In addition, ENVODEV aims at providing farmers and market gardeners with a new, locally produced soil improver that requires little knowledge for its use, which can alleviate the problem of soil pollution caused by expensive chemicals. The interest shown in public demonstrations suggests that there is local, national and international interest in these products, from the general public, organisations, public and private representatives and authorities.

The aim is to identify the materials that go into the production of green charcoal and to target areas where there is an abundance of these materials. The selected samples are evaluated and tested, and ENVODEV decides on the techniques for producing green charcoal. A training workshop is then set-up, and ENVODEV establishes a production team. Training in green charcoal production techniques focuses on the collection of raw materials, the use of production tools, carbonisation and the production of green charcoal. Groups, once formed, are entrusted with production and distribution.

ENVODEV is responsible for the management, and coordination of activities (training sessions, distribution, marketing, administration). In regards to the production of green charcoal, which is a biofuel produced from biomass (agricultural waste, biodegradable industrial waste, etc.), ENVODEV has been able to train and equip four (4) women’s groups of forty-eight (48), eight (8) groups and mixed associations of eighty (80) young people in the towns of Moundou and its surroundings, Doba, Kelo and N’djaména. For the production and use of biochar, which is a soil amendment that helps retain water for plant growth, ENVODEV has been experimenting with this new product in the town of Moundou for the past two years with farmers and market gardeners in order to improve the yield of their crops. Twelve farmers and market gardeners have benefited from training and experimentation on the production and use of biochar.