Malawi's Minister of Natural Resources has praised a bioethanol cooking scheme in Chikwawa, saying it offers a practical alternative to charcoal that could ease pressure on the country's dwindling forests while improving public health.
Patricia Wiskies made the comments during a visit on Tuesday to PressCane Limited's clean cooking project, which operates under the Green Economic Transition Facility.
She said the scheme's appeal lay not only in the number of households it stood to benefit, but also in the local jobs it had already created for graduates of the Malawi University of Science and Technology, as well as its potential to reduce the demand for charcoal that drives deforestation.
The minister described the bioethanol alternative as affordable enough to encourage households to switch away from charcoal, a shift she said would have knock-on benefits for both indoor air quality and the country's tree cover.
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PressCane's chief executive, Bryson Mkhomaanthu, told the minister the company was working to rebuild trust with communities near its factory following an earlier leakage incident, and was pursuing a series of community-focused initiatives as part of that effort.
"We desire that PressCane and the community should not be seen as two separate entities. We want to create a meaningful economic impact for the community," he said.
The visit formed part of a two-day tour by the minister of companies involved in producing or distributing clean cooking products in Blantyre and Chikwawa.
Separately, Ireland's ambassador to Malawi, Kate Brady, said her government remained committed to supporting Malawi's efforts to expand access to clean and affordable household energy.
