Agricultural Waste generated from farming practices can pose environmental threats if it is not properly disposed of or recycled. Many farmers wish to avoid this, but it can often be expensive or otherwise unsustainable.
However, it has been known for some time that mushrooms can help the composting process in both domestic and agricultural settings. Until now, few frameworks have assisted farmers and businesses in understanding this process or how it can benefit both them and the environment.
But now, researchers from the São Paulo State University (UNESP) and the University of São Paulo have released a business model to assist those interested in edible mushrooms for sustainable development goals, as well as explain to the public why mushrooms are so good at this process.
Agriculture holds huge potential for the bioeconomy due to its biomass production, like stems, leaves, straws, husks, forest residues, and other organic materials. These could be used to reduce fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions while also preventing this waste from being burned – which can lead to environmental damages and compromise public health from the smoke.
So what can be done about this?
The researchers put forward the idea of a circular bioeconomy, a system where materials are not simply categorized as “waste” and instead used to regenerate other natural resources. Its basis is maintaining a circulation of products and materials through various practices such as ensuring upkeep, reuse, refurbishment, recycling, and composting. A circular bioeconomy can address climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. It enables the development of rural economies by utilizing their knowledge of resources, processes, and technologies. It takes what has traditionally been seen as waste and by-products and turns them into raw materials for other products. This not only reduces the amount of waste destined for landfills or bonfires but also increases their value and opens up job opportunities to help combat rural depopulation.
And how does this relate to mushrooms?
Mushrooms have long been known as vital recyclers, returning nutrients into the ecosystem through composting food and agricultural waste. Fungi secrete substances that can break down complex systems in biomass into simpler substances that they then grow on. Current agricultural waste that is then used to grow mushrooms includes sawdust, cottonseed, wheat straw, waste paper, wood chips, grasses, and bamboo sawdust.
Mushrooms contain a high amount of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other compounds that give them a high nutritional value for humans and pets alike. But the waste used to grow the mushrooms isn’t wasted – instead, it’s turned into nutrient-rich soil rich in organic carbon and can be used in several applications.
How do we start this process, then?
The Business Model Canvas (BMC) is a model used to help the public and other stakeholders understand a business model. It has widespread success due to the support it can offer entrepreneurs. BMCs are like technical drawings of the strategy a business is going to use to articulate its knowledge and propose the logic of the venture.
The study by the Sao Paulo scientists aimed to create a business model for mushroom production, allowing businesses to use it as a basis to propose their own. It will help farmers, companies, and other stakeholders understand the principal aspects and inspire them to produce food this way.
Unfortunately, this study is just a broad overview, without going into details about the specific needs of mushroom farming or even focusing on specific species. The authors propose further research, including detailed case studies or even possibly primary data, to help those considering undertaking this venture to get their feet off the ground.