WFP Handbook on Safe Access to Firewood and Alternative Energy (SAFE)
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The World Food Program (WFP) Handbook on Safe Access to Firewood and Alternative Energy (SAFE) provides guidance on fuel-efficient programming and typically includes some or all of the following activities:
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Assessment of fuel and cooking needs;
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Provision of fuel-efficient stoves and alternative sources of fuel (including local production of fuel-efficient stoves and alternative fuels);
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Training of end-users on fuel-efficient practices, including food and fuel preparation and cooking, and stove use and maintenance;
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Investment in natural resources for fuel, such as tree planting and other environmental activities;
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Promotion of alternative livelihoods for women engaged in the gathering of, or production and sale of firewood and charcoal;
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Research into context-specific technologies and the introduction of innovative ones;
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Provision of institutional fuel-efficient stoves for WFP-assisted schools.
The structure of the handbook is as follows:
Parts 1 and 2 introduce the handbook and the SAFE approach respectively. They explain WFP’s involvement in the initiative; how it complements WFP’s mainstream food assistance activities; and how, with multi-sectoral engagement, tackling the many issues around safe access to cooking fuel can help vulnerable populations flourish in the long-term. Part 2 also lays down the multiple linkages between SAFE-related issues and food security and nutrition.
Part 3 offers a step-by-step operational guide for each stage of the programming process: assessment, design and planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. It also offers guidance for effective and ethical advocacy and communication on SAFE, and highlights potentials for expansion and scale-up. Tools are also provided for each stage of the programme cycle.
Part 4 describes promising practices and useful lessons from cross-sectoral interventions. Practices are analysed to determine whether they could be replicated in WFP’s operations.
Part 5 contains a collection of information and reference material on fuel-efficient stoves and fuels, SAFE-related environmental and livelihood interventions, and their applicability in various settings.
The handbook is intended for all WFP staff and partners striving - at community, national and international levels - to make safe access to cooking fuel a reality. It also aims to raise awareness of the importance of these issues, especially when responses are being planned in the early stages of emergencies.