ABSTRACT
This chapter identifies some approaches for rural residents to use to define their energy-related information needs, and for researchers to use in facilitating local learning processes. The cooking sector provides one entry to understanding food-fuel links in the local farming system. Diversity in choices for combining the inputs has been emphasized as "the critical factor in the efficient use of scarce resources" in intensive farming systems. Defining energy quality and energy efficiency in terms that fit the knowledge map of people who live close to nature is a step in this process. Need indicator is defined as a number or ratio that establishes quantity relationships with sufficient reliability to be used in local project evaluation and resource allocation. Ratios such as persons per sq km, cattle per person, percentage of net cropped area irrigated, and percentage of fuelwood collected from own or common sources are used herein to gain understanding of connections between energy demand and farming system characteristics.
