Charcoal production from invasive Prosopis juliflora in Baringo County,Kenya
Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF)
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Abstract: Originally introduced to dryland areas in Kenya as a solution to deforestation and fuelwood shortages,the shrub Prosopis juliflora has become highly invasive,displacing native plants,and negatively impacting both biodiversity and livelihoods. • Efforts to control Prosopis include,among others,using it to produce sustainable charcoal,which can both fill a major bioenergy gap and clear land for agriculture. • However,limited knowledge and a lack of proper equipment for pruning have prevented communities from realizing the full economic potential of Prosopis. • In Baringo County,CIFOR-ICRAF and partners took an integrated approach to sustainable charcoal production using Prosopis,through participatory mapping and ‘training of trainers’ on sustainable harvesting and the use of improved kilns. • Results show that using Prosopis for charcoal production is sustainable in three ways: it is abundant,it can be regenerated through selective pruning,and it produces high-quality charcoal more efficiently than other woody species. • This brief describes these results and offers recommendations for the use of invasive species for charcoal production.