In an effort to provide cost-effective alternatives to chemical pesticides, smallholder farmers can benefit from the production of wood vinegar, scientifically proven by The Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) to be a more effective and natural pesticide against common pests like the African bollworm and Fall Armyworm.
By distilling wood vinegar, farmers can create their own pesticide solution, reducing their reliance on expensive chemical pesticides. This not only helps in pest control but also presents an opportunity to establish an additional value chain for smallholder farmers, potentially increasing their overall revenue.

The two EWB volunteer engineers Jan Olav and Shara were tasked with designing and constructing a wood vinegar distillation system that can be built with local resources by the target group. In October they travelled to Singida, Tanzania, to construct the system on-site, and conduct training for SF’s local partners, and ELCAP lead farmers on the construction and use of the distillation system.