Biomass energy such as fire wood and charcoal is still the main cooking fuel in most developing countries worldwide. Wood fuel collection and charcoal production are a cause of illegal logging that can lead to severe forest degradation and deforestation.
Nearly 3 billion people rely on open fires and traditional stoves to cook their food. These stoves emit massive amount of air pollution inside homes. More than 3.5 million deaths per year are attributable to household air pollution impacting mainly women and children.
OTAGO through its subsidiary KGC has performed extensive research and developed in-depth knowledge related to the production of extremely high quality char-briquettes, which produce less smoke, less sparks and last longer than traditional charcoal.
The end-users for our products are primarily women, both for cooking and in agricultural sectors such as the poultry industry. Additionally, our whole value chain involves women.
In 2017 OTAGO’s franchisees saved around 18,000 tons of CO2 emissions. So far, OTAGO’s franchisees have saved a forest area in Cambodia equivalent to 400 football fields – one hectare every three days!
OTAGO-standard products don’t make sparks and smoke, which results in a safer and healthier fuel for our end-users (generally women). Today, OTAGO’s franchising monthly production reaches an equivalent of 6,500 households.
OTAGO and its subsidiaries, inspired by European Working Standards, ensure fair and safe working conditions
In Cambodia, OTAGO is facilitating the schooling of its employees’ children through the collaboration of a local NGO.
Otago is committed to promoting gender equality within its workforce by implementing inclusive hiring practices and providing equal opportunities for career growth and development for all employees. Moreover, women play integral roles throughout our entire value chain.
Kiribati is a small island nation located in the central Pacific Ocean, consisting of 33 coral atolls and islands spread over 3.5 million square kilometers. As a low-lying country, it is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels and increased storm activity. In addition, it faces significant challenges due to its remote location and limited resources. In Kiribati, coconut trees also provide important ecosystem services such as erosion control, carbon sequestration, and habitat for wildlife.
The Kiribati Outer Island Food and Water Project (KOIFAWP) aims to improve the livelihoods of people living in rural islands by promoting the development of agricultural based food supply chains. Nonouti is one of the project islands, where the project aims at valorizing the coconut supply chain through the processing and production of added value coconut products. More specifically, it was chosen to install a char-briquettes production plant, using the coconut shells deriving from the abundant copra production, and to build a clean and energy efficient stove for the processing and production of cocosap and coco sugar. OTAGO Pte. Ltd. (OTAGO) was selected to implement the project by providing the technology and know-how to install the equipment, including the provision of technical training and business operations capacity building.
OTAGO successfully installed a coconut shells charcoal briquettes processing plant and a clean and energy-efficient stove for coconut sap processing on Nonouti Island in Kiribati. The mission concluded with the operationalization of the production plant, with ten operators and one entrepreneur trained to produce high-quality char-briquettes. The coconut sap stove has also been constructed and is operational, demonstrating energy efficiency, minimal emissions and user-friendliness. The project has identified several opportunities for further development, including the replication of the production plant and stove on other outer islands in Kiribati and the Pacific. Overall, the project has successfully demonstrated opportunities for the development of livelihoods of rural island communities.
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