Besides reducing fuel demands and indoor air pollution, pyrolytic cooking stoves produce a by-product (biochar) that can improve soil fertility and serve as a sink for carbon sequestration. Most smallholder farmers in Africa depend on wood for fuel, suffer from exposure to smoke and soils in their cultivated farms are deteriorating. Biochar (bio-charcoal) production has potentials to reduce energy requirement, diminish exposure to smoke, improve soil health and ease household activities traditionally associated with female labour. However, introducing new technologies and behaviours that tackle existing problems without creating new ones is a complex endeavour. Transitions need to be anticipatory, comprehensive and inclusive. Having this in mind, a trans-disciplinary study was conducted from 2013 to 2019 with 150 households in three agro-ecological zones of Kenya. The socio-economic conditions, the uses of fuels and stoves, the crops grown and fertilizers used, as well as the labour division within households were documented. Selected households were given pyrolitic cooking stoves and trained in applying biochar to the soil. After two years of using the cooking stoves and applying biochar, studies were conducted to assess the feasibility and preliminary impacts based on the households own perceptions and experiences. The results showed that the strategy represented a viable option to deal with fuel use efficiency, exposure to indoor smoke and soil degradation, as well as easing the burden on female labour.

除减少燃料需求和室内空气污染外，热解炉灶还产生副产物（生物炭），可提高土壤肥力并用作固碳的汇。非洲大多数小农户以木材为燃料，遭受烟熏之害，其耕作农场的土壤正在恶化。生物炭（生物木炭）的生产具有减少能源需求，减少烟尘暴露，改善土壤健康和减轻传统上与女性劳动有关的家庭活动的潜力。但是，引入解决现有问题而又不创造新问题的新技术和行为是一项复杂的工作。过渡必须是预期的，全面的和包容的。考虑到这一点，2013年至2019年对肯尼亚的三个农业生态区的150户家庭进行了跨学科研究。记录了社会经济状况，燃料和火炉的使用，农作物和肥料的使用，以及家庭内部的劳动分工。选定的家庭配备了热解灶，并接受了将生物炭施用到土壤上的培训。在使用炊具和使用生物炭的两年后，根据家庭的看法和经验进行了研究，以评估可行性和初步影响。结果表明，该战略是解决燃料使用效率，暴露于室内烟雾和土壤退化以及减轻女性劳动负担的可行选择。记录了作物和肥料的使用，以及家庭内部的劳动分工。选定的家庭配备了热解灶，并接受了将生物炭施用到土壤上的培训。在使用炊具和使用生物炭的两年后，根据家庭的看法和经验进行了研究，以评估可行性和初步影响。结果表明，该战略是解决燃料使用效率，暴露于室内烟雾和土壤退化以及减轻女性劳动负担的可行选择。记录了作物和肥料的使用，以及家庭内部的劳动分工。选定的家庭配备了热解灶，并接受了将生物炭施用到土壤上的培训。在使用炊具和使用生物炭的两年后，根据家庭的看法和经验进行了研究，以评估可行性和初步影响。结果表明，该战略是解决燃料使用效率，暴露于室内烟雾和土壤退化以及减轻女性劳动负担的可行选择。进行了一些研究，以根据家庭自己的看法和经验评估可行性和初步影响。结果表明，该战略是解决燃料使用效率，暴露于室内烟雾和土壤退化以及减轻女性劳动负担的可行选择。进行了一些研究，以根据家庭自己的看法和经验评估可行性和初步影响。结果表明，该战略是解决燃料使用效率，暴露于室内烟雾和土壤退化以及减轻女性劳动负担的可行选择。