Azam Wheat Flour has launched a new initiative aimed at promoting clean cooking solutions, targeting 10,000 women food vendors across Tanzania. Mr. Hussein Sufian, the Group Corporate Affairs Director, announced during a press conference that this initiative is part of their broader effort to combat climate change. The campaign, run in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and a gas distribution company affiliated with the group, seeks to distribute ethanol stoves to food vendors across the country.

The campaign kicks off with an initial donation of 500 ethanol stoves in Dar es Salaam, with plans to scale the distribution to rural areas. Mr. Sufian emphasized the significant impact of charcoal and firewood on deforestation, as 80% of households in Tanzania still rely on these traditional fuel sources. This heavy reliance has led to the loss of more than 25% of the country’s forest cover.

Ethanol has been identified as a cleaner, more affordable alternative fuel that is readily available, aligning with the government’s clean energy goals. This initiative follows the launch of the national clean cooking energy strategy by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in May, which aims to shift households and institutions toward cleaner energy over the next decade. The strategy is backed by a $1.8 billion investment to support transitions in large institutions such as prisons, military camps, schools, and hospitals.