A Recipe for Success? Randomized Free Distribution of Improved Cooking Stoves in Senegal

Today more than 2.7 billion people rely on biomass as their primary cooking fuel, with profound implications for the environment and people’s well-being. Wood provision is often time-consuming and the emitted smoke has severe health eff ects – both burdens that affl ict women in particular. The dissemination of Improved Cooking Stoves (ICS) is frequently considered an eff ective remedy for these problems. This paper evaluates the take-up of ICS and their impacts through a randomized controlled trial in rural Senegal. Although distributed for free, the ICS are used by almost 100 % of households. Furthermore, we fi nd substantial eff ects on fi rewood consumption, eye infections, and respiratory disease symptoms. These fi ndings substantiate the increasing eff orts of the international community to improve access to improved cooking stoves and call for a more direct promotion of these stoves. JEL Classifi cation: C93, D12, O13, Q41, Q56