The practice is not new. Older residents say it has been passed down through generations, long before climate change became part of everyday conversation.
The report indicates that in Zuuku, near Bawku in the Upper East Region, the search for cooking fuel begins after the harvest.
It further notes that women gather maize and millet stalks from the fields, tie them into bundles and carry them home. The stalks are then dried and stored in small barns or sheltered corners of their compounds, ready for use during the dry season and the rainy months.
For many households, these crop residues provide an affordable source of cooking fuel.
Charcoal is difficult to obtain in the community, while firewood is becoming increasingly scarce. For families who cannot afford or easily access other fuels, the remains of the harvest offer a readily available alternative.
At a mud house in the community, a woman feeds dry millet stalks into a small cooking fire as children wait nearby for breakfast.
The practice is not new. Older residents say it has been passed down through generations, long before climate change became part of everyday conversation.
“We have used these stalks since the time of our parents,” stated Ayishetu Ayaanab, 66, who cooks with crop residues every day.
“Sometimes I sell some of the stalks. With even 10 cedis, I can buy soap or help with food at home. This energy is cheaper than firewood, and firewood is destroying our forests,” she added.
The sale of surplus stalks provides a small income for some women, while their use at home reduces the need to buy firewood.
The stalks are a form of biomass, organic material that can be used as fuel. They grow alongside food crops and are available after each harvest.
For residents of Zuuku, however, the value of the practice is mainly practical. The fuel is readily available, costs little or nothing to collect, and can reduce reliance on wood and charcoal.
An environmental expert with the Centre for Climate Change and Food Security, Dr Alexander Nti Kani, stated using residues that would otherwise be burned or discarded could help reduce pressure on nearby trees.
“When crop residues are reused for cooking, there is less need to cut trees,” he said. “That helps protect forests and reduce carbon emissions.”
But crop-residue cooking is not without risks. Like other solid fuels, burning stalks produces smoke and emissions. The health effects depend on the type of stove used, whether the fuel is dry, and how well the cooking area is ventilated.
