In Mexico around 28 millions of people depend on firewood to meet their energy requirements for cooking, heating and water heating.
Firewood is also used in small rural industries, mainly ceramics, brick "partition walls", bakeries and all kinds of craft workshops. These uses generate a consumption of around 18 million tons of dry matter of firewood. Most of the users are concentrated in the indigenous areas and in the municipalities that correspond to the Central and Southern zones of Mexico. In these areas the total consumption of firewood continues to increase.
In a study by the Mexican Bioenergy Network (REMBIO), 18 critical regions for firewood consumption are identified, in which there is an opportunity to design "multipurpose" programs that include the energy dimension and are appropriate for the conditions of small farmers.
The sustainable management of forests and the implementation of efficient boilers and stoves (kitchens) would have a very positive impact on rural areas, fulfilling a threefold objective: on the one hand, it would prevent an increase in forest degradation; on the other hand, it would improve the health and quality of life of the people with the introduction of efficient boilers in the homes and in third place, jobs would be created that avoid emigration, to urban areas or to the United States, contributing to the economic and social development of the country.
In promoting the sustainable management of forests and giving a greater added to them, the Sezaric Group, one of the companies participating in the Business Round with Mexican entrepreneurs, which will take place on Tuesday 26 of September during the celebration of Expobiomasa Fair.
The Sezaric Group is located in the State of Durango (Northwest of the country), and encompasses 5.936 producers, an area of 292.561 hectares of coniferous forest, generating more than 500 direct jobs.
"We are interested in making our production processes more efficient by giving better use of forest residues, making pellets, managing the forest resources and contributing to environmentally friendly processes," says its general manager Alfredo Corral, who will visit Expobiomasa 2017
Sources:
- Mexican Bioenergy Network: Bioenergy in Mexico. Current situation and prospects
- Page of Sezaric Group Facebook
To register for the Business Round with Mexico:
Website: http://bit.ly/2vm6Ckb
E-mail: bmerino@cabalconsulting.com