Charcoal: A Burning Issue
It’s a scene we’re all familiar with: a warm evening, the sun just beginning to drift down toward the horizon. Adults mill about an open, ember-lit grill, beers and soda in hand, as kids play in the background. The earthy smell of charcoal permeates the air.
For most Americans, barbeques are as integral to summer as days at the beach and s’mores around a campfire. The North American charcoal market, which was valued by Fortune Business at over $1 billion in 2022, reflects this. But despite its prevalence, few of us know that charcoal comes at a steep cost.
Charcoal is made through pyrolysis, a process that involves heating organic materials (usually wood) in a low-oxygen environment, such as a kiln or metal drum. As the chunks of wood heat, water and complex organic compounds break down, leaving behind carbon-rich lumps that will yield high temperatures and minimal smoke when burned. Importantly, this process isn’t a one-to-one conversion; it takes anywhere from three to six parts wood to get one part charcoal.
The overwhelming majority of the world’s charcoal—nearly two-thirds—is made in sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Ghana being the top three producers. While many people in this region rely on charcoal as a primary source of fuel, much of it is exported to North America and Europe for recreational use. And use it we do. Over 152,000 metric tons were imported into the US in 2020, the vast majority of which went directly to our grills.
Considering this high demand for charcoal, the question arises: How are we getting all the wood needed to make it?
In a word: unsustainably. Africa in particular has seen massive deforestation as a result of the clearcutting that’s been fueling the charcoal industry for decades. According to the World Bank, Nigeria’s forested land area went from 12.2% in 2007 to 7.7% in 2017, a loss of nearly 40% in just ten years, because of the charcoal industry. Similar numbers have been found in other dominant charcoal-producing countries, and this unfettered forest harvesting is beginning to take a toll.
Trees are crucial to every aspect of their ecosystems, from soil stability to water quality to biodiversity. As much as locals depend on them, forests also provide endangered animals and insects with vital food and habitat. Deforestation, in short, has far-reaching ripple effects. Although trees can be replanted, smaller, younger trees are a poor replacement for old forests that have been growing for millennia.
While most charcoal-caused deforestation may be taking place in Africa, the impact of this loss is global. Disruptions in the supply chain, release of carbon sinks, diminished agricultural output, and species extinction are just a few of the ramifications we as a world are facing.
Of equal concern is charcoal’s contribution to greenhouse gases. Grilling with charcoal emits an average of 11 pounds of carbon dioxide each hour, roughly the same amount a typical passenger car would emit driving 13 miles. That number may not be alarming on its own, but two out of every three American households (80 million total) have a grill, half of which are charcoal-burning. If each of these grills was used only once over the summer, the carbon dioxide released would still top 200,000 metric tons, which is equivalent to adding 44,000 cars to the road. In addition to direct burning, the charcoal industry also emits mass amounts of greenhouse gases through the production process and transatlantic transportation.
Grilling will never be a “green” activity, but there are greener alternatives to charcoal-grilling for those who want to mitigate the environmental impact. Not all charcoal is made equal; buying charcoal made with wood waste, sustainably harvested wood, or coconut shells can help prevent deforestation and its web of effects. Switching to a gas grill, which emits only half the greenhouse gases as its charcoal-burning counterpart, can also be beneficial to reducing one’s carbon footprint.
For most Americans, barbeques are as integral to summer as days at the beach and s’mores around a campfire. The North American charcoal market, which was valued by Fortune Business at over $1 billion in 2022, reflects this. But despite its prevalence, few of us know that charcoal comes at a steep cost.
Charcoal is made through pyrolysis, a process that involves heating organic materials (usually wood) in a low-oxygen environment, such as a kiln or metal drum. As the chunks of wood heat, water and complex organic compounds break down, leaving behind carbon-rich lumps that will yield high temperatures and minimal smoke when burned. Importantly, this process isn’t a one-to-one conversion; it takes anywhere from three to six parts wood to get one part charcoal.
The overwhelming majority of the world’s charcoal—nearly two-thirds—is made in sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Ghana being the top three producers. While many people in this region rely on charcoal as a primary source of fuel, much of it is exported to North America and Europe for recreational use. And use it we do. Over 152,000 metric tons were imported into the US in 2020, the vast majority of which went directly to our grills.
Considering this high demand for charcoal, the question arises: How are we getting all the wood needed to make it?
In a word: unsustainably. Africa in particular has seen massive deforestation as a result of the clearcutting that’s been fueling the charcoal industry for decades. According to the World Bank, Nigeria’s forested land area went from 12.2% in 2007 to 7.7% in 2017, a loss of nearly 40% in just ten years, because of the charcoal industry. Similar numbers have been found in other dominant charcoal-producing countries, and this unfettered forest harvesting is beginning to take a toll.
Trees are crucial to every aspect of their ecosystems, from soil stability to water quality to biodiversity. As much as locals depend on them, forests also provide endangered animals and insects with vital food and habitat. Deforestation, in short, has far-reaching ripple effects. Although trees can be replanted, smaller, younger trees are a poor replacement for old forests that have been growing for millennia.
While most charcoal-caused deforestation may be taking place in Africa, the impact of this loss is global. Disruptions in the supply chain, release of carbon sinks, diminished agricultural output, and species extinction are just a few of the ramifications we as a world are facing.
Of equal concern is charcoal’s contribution to greenhouse gases. Grilling with charcoal emits an average of 11 pounds of carbon dioxide each hour, roughly the same amount a typical passenger car would emit driving 13 miles. That number may not be alarming on its own, but two out of every three American households (80 million total) have a grill, half of which are charcoal-burning. If each of these grills was used only once over the summer, the carbon dioxide released would still top 200,000 metric tons, which is equivalent to adding 44,000 cars to the road. In addition to direct burning, the charcoal industry also emits mass amounts of greenhouse gases through the production process and transatlantic transportation.
Grilling will never be a “green” activity, but there are greener alternatives to charcoal-grilling for those who want to mitigate the environmental impact. Not all charcoal is made equal; buying charcoal made with wood waste, sustainably harvested wood, or coconut shells can help prevent deforestation and its web of effects. Switching to a gas grill, which emits only half the greenhouse gases as its charcoal-burning counterpart, can also be beneficial to reducing one’s carbon footprint.
First published in the Pioneer Tribune July 20, 2023