6 The Status and Future of Charcoal in the Energy …
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or traders, are often multilingual, usually buying from rural regions that
speak fewer languages, and trading in urban centres, such as Kampala.
In fact, without the multilingual middlemen, upstream producers may
not otherwise have access to important buyers, since the rural populations where they produce depend on cheaper or free alternatives, such as
firewood, from their private land (Tabuti, Dhillion, & Lye, 2003).
Upstream, charcoal is often bought by traders who own trucks, or
those that can arrange for bulk transportation, i.e. through renting from
truck owners, and hiring drivers, loaders and off-loaders (Fig. 6.3b) or
through regular transportation of smaller amounts by commuter boats
from Lake Victoria’s islands (Fig. 6.3e). Transportation often takes place
overnight, to reach urban markets by dawn, where further bulk purchases
are made by middlemen that organize short-distance transportation, for
example, with bicycles (Fig. 6.3f ), to reach their smaller market stalls
or to deliver directly to the premises of customers that may have preordered. We observed during our fieldwork that some middlemen own
trading spots in final markets, e.g. along Wakaliga road in Nateete,
Kampala (Fig. 6.1), where they ensure continuous availability of inventories for final buyers by making upstream connections with producers and
transporters. Moreover, business owners stockpile inventory (Fig. 6.3c
and d) to ensure supply security for final consumers.
In final markets, we found during our fieldwork that the role of the
middleman evolves based on various factors, including market conditions
and trader’s preferences. For example, those middlemen with extensive
knowledge of strategic locations, such as the Gaba market along Lake
Victoria’s shore, or along the Wakaliga and McKay roads near the Nateete
market, set up stalls (Fig. 6.3c and d) and trade within the existing
market infrastructure. However, knowing final buyers means that charcoal trade can also take place over the phone upon delivery from rural
sites. Where it is the primary source of income, middlemen, or traders,
in final markets tend to have more strategic knowledge of upstream
producers and transporters, and are reluctant to share this knowledge
due to strict legislative bans on the upstream production, which can
cause producer arrests, artificially constrict inventory supply and toughen
logistics processes (WWF, 2018; Nabukalu & Gieré, 2019; Butz, 2013).
However, where market bans exist on the trade of charcoal, traders hoard
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or traders, are often multilingual, usually buying from rural regions that
speak fewer languages, and trading in urban centres, such as Kampala.
In fact, without the multilingual middlemen, upstream producers may
not otherwise have access to important buyers, since the rural populations where they produce depend on cheaper or free alternatives, such as
firewood, from their private land (Tabuti, Dhillion, & Lye, 2003).
Upstream, charcoal is often bought by traders who own trucks, or
those that can arrange for bulk transportation, i.e. through renting from
truck owners, and hiring drivers, loaders and off-loaders (Fig. 6.3b) or
through regular transportation of smaller amounts by commuter boats
from Lake Victoria’s islands (Fig. 6.3e). Transportation often takes place
overnight, to reach urban markets by dawn, where further bulk purchases
are made by middlemen that organize short-distance transportation, for
example, with bicycles (Fig. 6.3f ), to reach their smaller market stalls
or to deliver directly to the premises of customers that may have preordered. We observed during our fieldwork that some middlemen own
trading spots in final markets, e.g. along Wakaliga road in Nateete,
Kampala (Fig. 6.1), where they ensure continuous availability of inventories for final buyers by making upstream connections with producers and
transporters. Moreover, business owners stockpile inventory (Fig. 6.3c
and d) to ensure supply security for final consumers.
In final markets, we found during our fieldwork that the role of the
middleman evolves based on various factors, including market conditions
and trader’s preferences. For example, those middlemen with extensive
knowledge of strategic locations, such as the Gaba market along Lake
Victoria’s shore, or along the Wakaliga and McKay roads near the Nateete
market, set up stalls (Fig. 6.3c and d) and trade within the existing
market infrastructure. However, knowing final buyers means that charcoal trade can also take place over the phone upon delivery from rural
sites. Where it is the primary source of income, middlemen, or traders,
in final markets tend to have more strategic knowledge of upstream
producers and transporters, and are reluctant to share this knowledge
due to strict legislative bans on the upstream production, which can
cause producer arrests, artificially constrict inventory supply and toughen
logistics processes (WWF, 2018; Nabukalu & Gieré, 2019; Butz, 2013).
However, where market bans exist on the trade of charcoal, traders hoard