Forest Resource: Charcoal Production in Mindanao

Introduction

Defining charcoal takes much work to attain. The research about charcoal has varied
descriptions because of its several uses and the way it is produced. However, let it suffice what
the American Chemical Society (M.J. Antal, Jr. and M. Gronli, 2003) describes: carbon (or
charcoal) is a preferred product of biomass pyrolysis at moderate temperatures, with
byproducts of carbon dioxide, water, methane, and traces of carbon monoxide. This description
fits how the farmers produce charcoal in San Narciso, Quezon, which will be described later
how the charcoal is made.

In the southern parts of the Philippines, charcoal is widely used. Today, charcoal
is one of the cheapest commercial energy sources in the Philippines and maybe in other
nations where trees are abundant. Now, in light of the current economic situation, it is one
of the greatest alternatives for a fuel source. The Conventional way of making charcoal is
the traditional ground-pit method which involves filling a pit with wood, igniting it,
covering the hole with earth, and making a small hole for the smoke to escape.

The National Statistics Office has determined a certain percentage of charcoal users in
household energy consumption in the Philippines. Three surveys were conducted in 1989
(32.1%), 1995 (38.5%), and 2004 (34.2%). Bensel and Remegio (2002) present an estimate
report that there are 1–2 million metric tons per year (estimate range) and 1.2 million metric
tons per year (best estimate) of household charcoal consumption. This is equivalent to 7.2
million metric tons of wood. This shows that Filipinos still use charcoal despite technological
advances (electricity, LPG, and Kerosene). Charcoal is highly demanded in the market, and as
a response, it is produced with reason despite the danger it can cause to the environment and
human life. (Charcoal Production in San Narciso, Quezon, Philippines, and Laudato Si: An
Ethical Consideration by Genaro Jordan Rondina).

Issues and Concern

Deforestation is one environmental problem in the Philippines that needs to be

addressed. In 2021, 37.7kha of natural forest in the Philippines was lost. One of the causes of
environmental degradation and deforestation is charcoal production. It is commonly perceived
that charcoal production is destructive to the environment and human life. The use of raw wood
material is 50 percent cheaper than using sustainable options. Because of that, they opt to use
the raw wood material to gain more profit. Utilizing raw wood materials puts the forest at risk
for environmental degradation. The traditional methods of charcoal-making led to high carbon
emissions and waste of wood resources. Hence, this practice challenges environmental ethics,
which calls for its cessation to save the planet from excessive greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions. Emissions of greenhouse gases from charcoal production in tropical ecosystems in
2009 are estimated at 71.2 million tons of carbon dioxide and 1.3 million tons of methane.

The lack of awareness of the environmental effects of charcoal production is a serious

issue. Most rural dwellers are not aware of the negative effects of charcoal production on their
environment, which, in turn, results in climate change.
 The lack of employment may encourage the mass movement of rural dwellers into
charcoal production. The absence of job opportunities, especially paid ones, induces rural
dwellers to participate in charcoal production as an alternative source of employment.
Insufficiency of basic amenities in rural areas may trigger charcoal production. Rural dwellers
usually depend on the government for their basic human needs, such as electricity, cooking
gas, and the like, in their domain. The inability of the government to provide such basic
amenities triggers high production and consumption of charcoal as a perceived good source of
energy for cooking and heating.

Lastly, charcoal production has different effects on agriculture, such as lack or loss of
labor. When the same labor expected to till the land for agricultural activities still cuts down
trees and makes charcoal kilns, farming activities are hindered, especially when they get quick
income. It results in a reduction in the number of people in agriculture.

The failure of past charcoal policies to address environmental impacts and achieve
sustainability can be attributed to erroneous assumptions and predictions by national and
international organizations regarding wood-based fuels.

Mitigating Measures

There are possible ways of enhancing charcoal policies' legitimacy and, therefore,
effective implementation is multi-stakeholder participation and demonstrating coherence with
globally recognized principles, goals, and relevant international regimes. According to the
article of Mercy entitled “Charcoal: A burning issue”, they involved the charcoal producers in
woodlot establishment and regeneration programs and set up a participatory guarantee system
to certify sustainable charcoal production. This is to help in reducing one of the drivers of
deforestation by improving sustainable production methods, reducing the need to cut trees, and
reducing carbon emissions. They introduced an improved kiln with a chimney made of drums.

The traditional way to produce charcoal is to cut big hardwood logs, put sand on them,
and set the wood on fire. Then, they burn without oxygen for a few days and create charcoal.
In the improved system, they just prune trees, take only small branches, put them into the
improved kiln, seal it with sand and let them burn. The big difference is that with the old
method, the carbon is retained in the charcoal, whereas with the chimney kiln, the carbon stays
in the drums, making it less harmful to the producer and the user. When cleaning the drums,
they pour the carbon back into the soil.

Countering the problems of charcoal production includes the improvement of used

efficient stoves. Using earth kilns and chimneys made of empty oil drums and bricks is more
environmentally friendly and significantly improves yield. The usage of Charcoal briquettes is
also a sustainable way of producing charcoal. It is the process of slowly burning the
biomaterials such as leaves, twigs, coconut husk, and rice hull, grinding them, mixing them
with cassava starch, putting the mixture in the molder, and letting it dry in the sun. This method
produces a lower yield but burns much longer than regular charcoal piles.

An introduction of an agroforestry system can also help to reduce the cutting of valuable
trees. Having a specific area to plant trees for charcoal-making and the trees planted must be
fast-recovered trees like Ipil-ipil.
 The Philippines makes a bill banning the production, transportation, and sale of raw wood
charcoal products. The department of environment and natural resources (DENR) monitors the
movements of raw wood charcoal products. DENR promotes sustainable charcoal options such
as banana skin, maize, sugar cane, and coconut. The government released a bill prohibiting raw
wood charcoal production, transportation, and sale. A penalty of imprisonment and a fine of
200,000-500,000 pesos is charged if the law is violated. A Wood Charcoal Production Permit
(WCPP) shall be issued by the concerned CENRO/Implementing PENRO to certify that the
charcoal processing is sustainable production. Also, a Wood Charcoal Transport Permit
(WCTP) shall be conferred to the traders/merchants/middleman/buyer of the wood charcoal
from the concerned CENRO/Implementing PENRO.

Accounting and Monitoring

Fuel and Wood Charcoal Production and Disposition Form (FWCPDF)

A charcoal monitoring form (CMF) shall be prepared by the WCPP holder indicating
the periodic production and disposition of wood charcoal.

Wood Charcoal Production Monitoring

A statistical reporting form containing information on fuel wood and charcoal
production and disposition.

Conclusion

Concerns about the sustainability of charcoal production are concentrated on three

major issues that affect the entire value chain: where to get the wood for making charcoal (by
harvesting and felling trees), how effectively the wood is converted into charcoal (by
carbonization), and how well the charcoal industry is governed (policies, regulations, and
enforcement).

At least eight SDGs, including SDG1 (poverty reduction), SDG2 (food security and
nutrition), SDG3 (health), SDG5 (gender equity), SDG6 (clean water), SDG7 (sustainable
energy), and SDG15 (including elements such as sustainable management of forests, reducing
forest and land degradation and deforestation, land degradation neutrality, and biodiversity
conservation), are directly impacted by the production and consumption of charcoal. The
industry is also connected to climate change (SDG 13), because of its effects on forest
degradation, deforestation, and its emissions of greenhouse gases during the production of
charcoal.

The promotion of sustainable charcoal production is to acknowledge the value and

significance of charcoal in supplying the expanding urban market's need for inexpensive and
dependable cooking fuels, as well as the potential negative effects it may have on land
degradation, climate change, and rural livelihoods. To develop and implement national
charcoal strategies that include prioritized and coordinated actions to support the development
of a sustainable charcoal value chain, with potential mentions of decentralized structures that
offer technical advice on charcoal production as well as their integration into national
implementation strategies for ecosystem restoration and sustainable development.
 Also, to promote, among other things, appropriate rules on the source of wood and effective
wood-to-charcoal conversion to establish an enabling environment for sustainable charcoal
manufacturing.

References

African Forestry and Wildlife Commission, 2020. “Sustainable Charcoal Production

For Food Security And Forest Landscape Restoration”. March 9-13, 2020.
https://www.fao.org/3/ca7967en/ca7967en.pdf

Bensel, T.G. and Remedio, E.M. (2002). Woodfuel Consumption and Production in the
Philippines: A Desk Study. FAO Bangkok, unpublished report.

“Charcoal: A Burning Issue”. December 27, 2019. https://www.unep.org/news-and-

stories/story/charcoal-burning-issue

Genaro Jordan Rondina, 2015. “Charcoal Production in San Narciso, Quezon,

Philippines, and Laudato Si: An Ethical Consideration”. https://www.dlsu.edu.ph/wp-
content/uploads/pdf/conferences/arts-congress-proceedings/2018/nstcc-02.pdf

M.J. Antal, Jr. and M. Gronli, 2003. “The Art, Science, and Technology of Charcoal
Production”. March 14, 2023. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ie0207919

Parashram Patil, International Journal of Accounting and Economics Studies. “Forest

accounting: A theoretical perspective”. February 2017.
https://www.academia.edu/40994243/International_Journal_of_Accounting_and_Economics
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