In many poor countries where firewood is in short supply Australian trees planted for fuel are helping people cook the food they have. But, for every successful fuelwood plantation, there is a need for hundreds more. United Nations studies report that this lack of fuelwood has reached a crisis. In countries where most of the people depend on firewood as their chief source of fuel, natural forests and woodlands close to homes have been cut down and villagers now walk many kilometres to gather what they need to cook their food. The immediate practical solution is to grow more fuel closer to home. Australian trees can make a significant contribution to alleviating the fuelwood shortage.