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Biochar-producing cookstoves can supply fuel-efficient heat for cooking in developing countries. The produced biochar can be used as a soil amendment, providing a range of environmental and agronomic benefits and serve to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Despite these advantages, many stove initiatives have not been sustained in the long term, but very little attention has been devoted to understanding the reasons behind this. The present study contributes to filling this knowledge gap, by identifying key factors affecting the level of stove adoption and use, as well as biochar utilization. Based on a follow-up survey of 50 households in northwestern Tanzania that received microgasifier stoves in 2015, only 12 still made use of their stove 5 years later. One of the main reasons for this relates to the inadequate quality of stove material. Declining or inconsistent availability of feedstocks was also identified as a major challenge. Furthermore, the households generally did not embrace the idea of amending soils with biochar, due to a combination of local practices and perceptions, and a lack of education and awareness programs. We conclude that, under the conditions of the studied project, three factors are required to scale dissemination: improvement of the stove design, provision of training programs on biochar management and subsidies or microloans that would make more durable stoves affordable. Sustained stove deployment can only be achievable by institutionalizing financing structures that are independent from short-term grant-based initiatives. • Lessons five years after the implementation of an improved cookstove program • Contributes to understanding why many stove initiatives have not been sustained • Main reasons include quality of stove material and feedstock availability. • Biochar-producing cookstoves in Kagera region, Tanzania • The idea of amending soils with biochar is generally not embraced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar may contribute to both agricultural productivity and atmospheric carbon dioxide removal. However, despite the many potential upsides of adding biochar to amend carbon-depleted soils in sub-Saharan Africa, deployment is largely lacking. This paper explores the socio-economic factors that can explain tendencies to avoid action. Based on a survey of 172 farming households, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions in the Mbeya and Songwe regions of Tanzania, which were targeted for a biochar aid program in 2014, several socio-economic drivers behind the continued use of biochar deployment were identified in this follow-up study. A key deployment driver was the increased crop yields, perceived to be the result of adding biochar to soils, increasing yields from 1 metric ton per hectare to 3 metric tons per hectare. Food security and family income were cited as the main reasons to engage in biochar production and use. Climate change mitigation and increased resilience were other key reasons that motivated adoption. In terms of socio-economic factors, farmers with low education and income, the majority being males aged 40–60 years, contributed to low adoption rates in the study area. Respondents often cited the alternative usage of biochar feedstocks, lack of government involvement or extension services, traditions, and farming customs as the main constraints limiting biochar deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]