UK Spends £99 Million on Electric Cooking Initiatives in Africa and Asia

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UK Spends £99 Million on Electric Cooking Initiatives in Africa and Asia

British taxpayers are funding a £99 million initiative aimed at encouraging families in Africa and Asia to adopt electric cooking. The project, which falls under the UK’s foreign aid programme, is designed to improve health and environmental conditions by reducing reliance on firewood and charcoal, both of which contribute to pollution.

 

More than £55 million has already been spent on the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) project, and the Foreign Office recently approved nearly doubling its budget, extending its operation until the end of the decade. The majority of this funding is allocated to Loughborough University, which is conducting extensive research on clean cooking solutions.

 

 

By 2030, the university is expected to produce 650 reports on the subject. As part of its efforts, researchers have also developed 'eCookbooks' to guide families in preparing traditional meals with electric appliances and created a 'multi-dimensional framework to assess and monitor gender equality, equity, and women's empowerment.'

 

Additionally, the programme includes the distribution of 20,000 electric pressure cookers in Tanzania and Uganda, with a smaller number of air fryers being handed out in other countries. However, the initiative has faced criticism from some quarters, with concerns being raised about the use of taxpayer money on foreign aid projects that may not deliver tangible benefits.

 

 

Joanna Marchong, Investigations Campaign Manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance, expressed her concerns, stating, "Taxpayers will be furious at the frittering away of their cash on frivolous foreign aid projects. Too many of these costly schemes look like little more than virtue-signalling exercises rather than genuine humanitarian assistance which saves lives."

 

The future of the MECS project is now uncertain following a recent announcement by Sir Keir Starmer that the UK’s aid budget will be reduced to accommodate increased defence spending. A spokesperson from the Foreign Office commented, "The UK is taking a rigorous approach to ensure all ODA [Official Development Assistance] delivers value for money for the taxpayer. Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review."

 

Loughborough University, which remains at the forefront of the initiative, responded to the potential budget cuts, saying, "The university remains committed to the MECS project. At this stage, we have no information on whether cuts to UK Official Development Assistance will affect our programme moving forward."

 

With the debate over foreign aid spending continuing, the programme’s long-term viability remains uncertain. However, for now, the UK government maintains its commitment to promoting clean cooking in developing countries.

 

Based on a report by Daily Mail  2025-03-19

 

 

[JonnyF]

Labour continuing to waste taxpayers money on stupid vanity projects.

 

At least this will make some people happy though.