Converting cow dung to clean energy – how biogas cooking fuel is transforming lives in Tanzania

Adopting eco-friendly biogas for cooking, instead of traditional fuels such as firewood and charcoal, is changing lives in north east Tanzania and helping combat climate change. 

In the village of Doffa in Arusha, under the shadow of the Ngorongoro crater rim, Florian Gitu is embracing a sustainable future. The 45-year-old father of four grows maize, beans, vegetables and legumes on his farm and also raises a small number of livestock. He is one of a number of smallholders in the region who are adopting eco-friendly cooking solutions – and who are seeing the benefits on a personal and environmental level.

Biogas is a gamechanger

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” – or so the saying goes. Together with other members of the local Eden Ufugaji Nyuki farmers’ group, Florian has been learning how cow dung can be converted into biogas – a clean, sustainable alternative energy source for cooking and heating.

The training – funded by the FFF and run by regional umbrella organization MVIWAARUSHA (the Network of Farmers' Groups in Arusha) – took place during 2021 and 2022 and empowered participants to set up and maintain biogas digesters using dung from their own livestock.

They also facilitated exchanges between households that had successfully adopted biogas and those still dependent on traditional fuels such as firewood and charcoal. As a result of the training, 36 households in the Arusha region have successfully adopted biogas technology.

So how is biogas made? The cow dung is mixed in a tank until it becomes a slurry. It is then fed into a sealed container, known as a digester, where it is broken down by microbes to release a mixture of gases including methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. These gases are then captured to be used for energy.

Biogas packs a punch
Using biogas reduces the heavy reliance on firewood and charcoal which contribute to widespread deforestation and environmental degradation in the area. What’s more, the energy generated from biogas is more powerful than firewood, which means cooking time is reduced. The by-products from the biogas production process are used as organic fertilizers to enrich the soil in Florian’s vegetable garden, so nothing is wasted.

“Using biogas has made a big difference to my family’s well-being,” explains Florian. “Before, my wife would spent long hours searching for firewood, which was physically demanding, time-consuming, and dangerous because of the presence of nearby wild animals. At the same time, the widespread cutting down of trees was reducing the fertility of the land and making it difficult to achieve a good harvest.”

Improving well-being and quality of life

Thanks to the biogas initiative, Florian’s family can now produce their own energy from organic waste on their farm. It has allowed Florian to lower his energy costs, enhance food preparation efficiency, and contribute to preserving and protecting his local environment. It has also improved the health and safety in his home by minimizing smoke exposure.

What’s more, it has enhanced the family’s quality of life, as Florian’s wife now has more time to spend with the family and to engage in income-generating activities herself.

As well as integrating biogas into his home, Florian has been diversifying his crops and using the by-products of biogas production as natural fertilizer on his farm. As a result, his harvests have grown and his income has increased, empowering the family to meet their day-to-day needs and allowing their children to continue their education, which was previously a struggle due to financial constraints.

The power of collective action

Florian is keen to share his experiences with fellow farmers in Doffa Village and beyond to inspire them to embrace biogas technology, fostering resilience and sustainability within their own communities, and highlighting how – collectively – individual actions can have an impact at scale.

Elsewhere in Tanzania, local community training on biogas technology is an ongoing effort with hopes that the initiative can be up-scaled to benefit farmers in other areas including Bukoba Rural, Mbulu, and Njombe.