Green Bakery

This project is a Social Responsibility initiative by Sayga Flour Mills, which is part of the DAL Group conglomerate in Sudan. Following the MDGs Goal 7 and Global Compact principles 7, 8, and 9, the project aims to install electronically controlled burners (device and system) to add value to customers in terms of cost-effectiveness, safety, consistent quality, and increase in production capabilities. There are two types of bakeries in Sudan, mechanical bakeries, equipped with modern ovens, and traditional bakeries which use wood as fuel. A small number of these traditional bakeries have switched to gas by installing poorly manufactured conventional burners, which are considered unsafe and pose a fire and safety risk.

Reliable energy services are essential to growth and development, but current patterns of energy production and consumption threaten the environment on local and global scales. The burning of fossil fuels and the cutting of forests, for example, are contributing to a higher concentration of greenhouse gases and climate change. The burden of environmental degradation also falls disproportionately on developing countries that are limited in their capacity to respond to climate change and depend on environmentally sensitive activities such as agriculture and fishery.

In order to fulfil the seventh millennium development goal and ensure environmental sustainability, conventional approaches to energy must be reoriented. The use of cleaner fuels and improved energy efficiency can ensure a wiser use of natural resources while reducing emissions and respecting the local and global environment.

In addressing the deterioration in the vegetation cover and decrease of forest resources, the National Forestry Corporation (FNC) adopted a number of policies and legislation to support forest conservation and development. A number of laws and bylaws were developed and implemented to stop forest resources deterioration. With the discovery of the oil and development of the oil industry, oil by-products become important energy alternative sources, hence, the Ghabat Gas Initiative project was launched in 2000- with Iranian and Egyptian experiences and technical support- to use alternative energy in the production of bread and address the deterioration of forestry.

The Introduction of butane gas as an alternative source of domestic energy requires the acceptance of the community, and also requires the provision of stoves and cylinders as well as a sustainable source to refill the cylinders at affordable prices. In this respect, the FNC is targeting a 50% reduction of biomass use in 3 to 5 years.

In 2002, the FNC succeeded in distributing a total of 86,697 stoves and gas cylinders in 16 states. However, 5,200 traditional bakeries still exist in Sudan, consuming an average of 550,000 tons of fuelwood every year (2000-2005). These traditional baking stoves also emit harmful smoke particles and are believed to be so potent that they are considered by some to be the second biggest driver of climate change after CO2. Harmful smoke particles emitted from the traditional baking stoves have caused health problems such as respiratory illnesses. According to a market research on consumer behaviour, this number is likely to increase in the coming years as bread is quickly replacing traditional Sudanese flour-based staple foods.

In order to address Sudan’s highest deforestation rate in Africa and its negative impacts on society and the environment, Sayga embarked on a project titled “Green Bakery” which contributes to reducing the business community’s carbon footprints, offering its help to achieve a smooth transition from the use of wood to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

The project began in 2005, in the area of East Kurdufan where they decided to stop using wood to stop further destruction of our forests in Sudan.