The value of forests in terms of fuelwood provision is examined by constructing a behavioural model of choice of fuelwood collection site for two communal areas in Zimbabwe (Mutoko and Murewa). In the research areas, fuelwood sales are banned and labour is rarely hired for collecting fuelwood. Women mainly collect fuelwood from miombo woodlands located in the hills and mountains surrounding land cleared for agriculture. The impacts of changes to the forest resource base are evaluated by assessing the changes in caloric expenditures made by local people through their decisions about choice of collection site and site factors. Three tree species (Brachystegia glaucescens, Julbernardia globiflora and B. boehmii) were identified as excellent sources of domestic fuelwood. This measure of value, i.e., caloric value, may be relevant to households in developing countries and may provide insights for policy analysis. The results show that the cost of losses of fuelwood sites may be a significant percentage of the total caloric intake of the village women.