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The Horn of Africa Regional Environment Centre & Network (HoA-REC&N) has registered a carbon finance project named Oromia Cook Stove Distribution Project (ID: 104000000012230) under gold standard (a standard and certification body established in 2003 by WWF and other international NGOs as a best practice standard to ensure projects that reduced carbon emissions under the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)). The project is implemented in West Wollega zone (in four selected districts namely Homa, Haru, Nolekaba and Laloasabi) by disseminating 40,000 improved cook stoves for 20,000 households.

Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperative Union (OCFCU) is the project proponent which is delegated /represented by 25 implementing primary coffee farmer cooperatives. The implementation was officially started at the end of 2016. It is a 7 year project and which will be renewed two more times. The project will reduce 43,000 tCO2e- emissions per annum and will be sold to Fairclimate fund.

The project has multi function:

• It will reduce the rate of deforestation. The distributed stoves have a 50% fuel saving efficiency and hence reduce the rate of deforestation and negative impacts aroused from the use of traditional stoves.
• It will improve forest cover and coffee productivity. Coffee Arabica needs shade for proper growth. The assessment done in the target area indicated that there is severe forest degradation and reduction in coffee productivity. The project will reduce deforestation and improve coffee productivity.
• It will reduce indoor pollution and associated health impact on women and children who spend most of their time in cooking and at home. The project will save time of fuel collection and money spent for the purchase of fuel wood.
• It will generate carbon finance for coffee farmers. The emission reduction will be calculated and will be sold for Fairclimate fund
• It will create market and premium for the coffee produced in the area. The primary coffee farmers will certify their coffee as fair trade carbon neutral coffee and sell their coffee in premium price in the international market.

The project has established stove production shades in four districts, organized women stove producer groups, trained and provided inputs and startup capital for each of the four centers and started local production of the stoves. These created job opportunity for more than 45 women and also created access to the technologies.

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