Cultural aspects and traditional habits can constitute limiting barriers for the transition from fire wood to other energy sources for food preparation (cooking and frying). Our previous experience has shown that multidisciplinary teams from the technology and from the social side can be both inspiring and fruitful. Development of technological solutions will be influenced from the social constraints and the social side is useful in the design of implementation strategies and in the further monitoring and evaluations of the interventions.

Gender focus is in particular important when it comes to energy for cooking and for food preservation, as this mainly involves women and children.