Nthabiseng Mohlakoana, CSTM, University of Twente
Energy transitions in developing countries raise a number of issues that are often taken for granted at both policy making and implementation levels. In the developing countries context, micro-enterprises owned and operated by men and women are a common strategy to guarantee income generation and day-to-day survival. Energy plays a very important role in ensuring that a majority of these enterprises continue to operate, even if it means their growth is not guaranteed. It is therefore important to use a gender lens in analyzing energy use patterns and finding energy solutions that consider the complex nature of informal micro enterprises, particularly in the food sector. Using the results generated from a current study and from literature, this paper will highlight the energy use patterns of informal micro enterprises and make policy recommendations that will take into consideration the complex nature of energy use and transitions in the informal food sector.
Click here for a download of the presentation in .pdf-format.