Firewood in the forest: Social practices, culture, and energy transitions in a remote village of the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

Abstract The substitution of firewood for cooking energy is one of the pillars of sustainable energy transition. Despite efforts in promoting the diffusion of less pollutant and modern technologies, such as improved cookstoves, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and electric cookers, there is a persistent demand for traditional fuels, particularly in rural areas of the world. But what drives the persistency of firewood use for cooking? While previous attempts to understand the persistent uses of firewood in rural and peri-urban areas largely focused on access and affordability, few studies assess the dietary and sociocultural aspects of firewood. Methodologically, this paper uses the case study of a remote village of the Brazilian Amazon as approach, to help identify the sociocultural drivers behind the use of firewood and adoption of cleaner cookstoves. Findings suggest that the persistency of firewood consumption for cooking is strongly related to cultural indicators, such as food preferences, cooking habits, rituals, house materials and ethnobotanical knowledge.