Nine out of ten Haitian homes use wood charcoal for fuel. Many women sellcharcoal as their only income, which continues the exploitation of Haiti’s environment.The smoke from wood or charcoal fires also creates health problems.

Since 2001, the COMMUNITY COALITION FOR HAITI (CCH) has fostered grass roots partnerships to introduce, produce, distribute and educate about alternative energy equipment and products – namely, briquette replacements for wood and charcoal. This new fuel resembles wood charcoal but is made from paper and nontoxic combustible wastes, farm wastes (manure) and forest debris. The wastes are chopped, mixed with water and a sticky binder such as clay, and compressed into briquettes using a small hand-operated machine. The briquettes dry and harden in natural sunlight. This process, developed through research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, reduces dependency on trees for fuel, permits ecological restoration, and creates small community businesses. More than 2000 persons yearly can benefit through the operation based in Haiti’s North Department. From this simple change, the complex problem of deforestation is proactively addressed.