Three billion people worldwide rely on open fires and traditional stoves to heat their homes and cook their meals. These primitive systems are not only inefficient; they also cause blindness, asthma and lots of other health problems for the people who have to breathe and squint through the smoke.
The World Health Organization blames smoke exposure from those stoves and fires for 2 million premature deaths a year.
Heifer International helps families transition away from these dangerous, labor-intensive systems to biogas stoves and other technologies that cut the heath risks and environmental degradation that come with the inefficient burning of wood and other biofuels.
Additionally, biogas stoves are fueled with the methane that is a byproduct of the decomposition of animal waste. The process of extracting methane also yields slurry that makes for a rich crop fertilizer.
Consider investing in the health of the environment and the health of a Heifer farmer by giving the gift of a biogas stove. You can learn more about biogas and see how it is helping smallholder farmers here.
And learn how to build your own biogas generator at home in this post from our archives.
