What Can Mushrooms Do To Help Society?
Around the world, mushroom farming has provided opportunities to people in poverty-stricken communities. In East Asia and Africa, mushroom agriculture is being used to combat poverty and create sustainable agriculture practices. Read on to see more mushroom agriculture in fighting poverty
October 17th is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, so today we’ll share several inspiring mushroom farm projects in honor of this holiday.
Changing the Lives of City Kids
Louie Schwartzberg’s Fantastic Fungi film highlighted the work of William Padilla-Brown, the founder of MycoSymbiotics. He found a way to change his life and his neighborhood through mycology.
“I was a city kid, I just played video games. My parents never really took me on hikes or went outside. So finding mushrooms to me was like a spiritual journey.” Today this self-taught “citizen-scientist” is one of the most respected mycologists in the world. He discovered a more sustainable food supply and a life-long passion.
Disabled Mushroom Farmers in Bangladesh
Whereas crops like wheat or soy require labor-intensive care, it doesn’t take much heavy lifting to grow a hearty crop of mushrooms. This makes mushroom farming a very appealing choice for disabled people or people with limited mobility. Mushrooms don’t require very much space to grow, meaning that farmers can start their own mushroom farm at home.
Without the need to access large swathes of land or enormous amounts of startup capital to buy seeds, mushrooms are quickly becoming the go-to solution in impoverished communities. In Bangladesh, mushroom farming has changed the lives of many people. Now, they can provide an income for their family without going into debt or contributing to climate change via methane gas.
Women Mushroom Farmers in Nepal
Mushroom farming has empowered Nepalese mothers to feed their children and earn extra income. Access to food is difficult for many families, but a home-based mushroom farm provides essential nutrients.
Mushroom farming is a natural fit for the western Nepalese climate, as many families have access to a warm and mild outdoor shelter that is perfect for cultivating spawn. With a small investment in education and spawn from PHASE Worldwide, women farmers in Nepal are fighting off poverty one mushroom at a time.
Kigali Farms in East Africa
This organization is training farmers and creating a market for East African mushrooms. Now there is demand and cross-country trade of fungi and farmers are earning a good income.
Look for locally grown mushrooms in your area and support a local farmer in honor of this holiday. It’s time to aid mushroom agriculture in fighting poverty! Poverty exists in every community, so let’s all commit to doing what we can to fight poverty in our own backyards today.
