# Green Coal Options Eco-Fuel Africa Works on Creating Sustainable Energy Technologies By Tiana Reid | Published 2013-05-19 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ecofuel-africa References: [facebook](https://www.facebook.com/ecofuelafrica1) & [ecofuelafrica](http://www.ecofuelafrica.com/) Moses Sanga's Eco-Fuel Africa is a social enterprise supporting [sustainable energy technologies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sustainable-energy-solutions) through the creation of green coal. On the Eco-Fuel website, the team explains and shows some statistics of deforestation in Africa: "In sub-Saharan Africa, 80 percent of the people cook their meals over wood fires. The very poorest individuals cut down trees for cooking fuel; those slightly less poor buy charcoal made from wood in those same forests. Every year Africa loses forest cover equal to the size of Switzerland. At this rate Africa will have no forests left by 2050." The featured image in the media gallery shows the business model and its interconnections in a graph, that is, how it melds micro-franchisees, charcoal powder, technology training, women retailers, farmers with kilns and final consumers. **Contact Information** Eco-Fuel Africa [website](http://www.ecofuelafrica.com/) Eco-Fuel Africa on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/ecofuelafrica1) Eco-Fuel Africa on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ecofuelafrica1) Founder Sanga Moses on [YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfHhA4H9FQkVF2jnMq2_7iA?feature=watch) ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.1/10 - Popularity: 35% | Activity: 49% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) > [Social Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialbusiness) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Sustainable Energy Technologies:** There is a disruptive innovation opportunity in developing affordable and accessible sustainable energy technologies for African communities that rely on wood and charcoal for cooking fuel. - **Reduction of Deforestation:** There is a disruptive innovation opportunity in developing alternative cooking fuel technologies to reduce the dependence on charcoal and wood that would lead to the reduction of deforestation in sub-Saharan Africa. - **Micro-franchise Model:** There is a disruptive innovation opportunity in expanding the micro-franchise model to other underserved areas and create new opportunities for micro-entrepreneurs in growing green coal businesses across Africa. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Renewable Energy:** The renewable energy industry can leverage this trend to create and market affordable and accessible sustainable energy technologies for African communities to reduce the dependence on wood and charcoal. - **Environmental Technologies:** The environmental technologies industry can leverage this trend to support initiatives that promote environmentally sustainable ways of living in sub-Saharan Africa. - **Micro-franchise Industry:** The micro-franchise industry can leverage this trend to expand its reach and create new business opportunities for micro-entrepreneurs in the growing green coal industry across Africa. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Sustainable Rwandan Fuel Launches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/oryx-energies.md) - [Renewable Energy Camping Grills](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/adventure-boilgrill.md) - [Kenyan E-Bike Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/electric-boda.md) - [Charitable Flat-Packed Cooking Stoves](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fire-for-life.md) - [Kenyan Electric Motorcycles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/umeme-3000.md) - [Mini Smoke-Free Camper Stoves](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/biolite-ecozoom-dura.md) - [Cooking Oil-Powered Heaters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bio-heater.md) - [African E-Bike Startups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/roam-motors.md) - [Subscription-Based Climate Action Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/climate-action-platform.md)