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Mushroom cultivation can help reduce vulnerability to poverty and strengthens livelihoods through the generation of a fast yielding and nutritious source of food and a reliable source of income. Since it does not require access to land, mushroom cultivation is a viable and attractive activity for both rural farmers and peri-urban dwellers. Small-scale growing does not include any significant capital investment: mushroom substrate can be prepared from any clean agricultural waste material, and mushrooms can be produced in temporary clean shelters. They can be cultivated on a part-time basis, and require little maintenance. Indirectly, mushroom cultivation also provides opportunities for improving the sustainability of small farming systems through the recycling of organic matter, which can be used as a growing substrate, and then returned to the land as fertilizer.

Through the provision of income and improved nutrition, successful cultivation and trade in mushrooms can strengthen livelihood assets, which can not only reduce vulnerability to shocks, but enhance an individual’s and a community’s capacity to act upon other economic opportunities.

---  FAO



  1. This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 33. Mushrooms such as oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) are usually grown in plastic bags filled with organic material that may include organic farm wastes. That material must be sterilized (heated to temperatures above 100C) or pasteurized (heated to a...
  2. 2011-01-20
  3. Abstract, Food Science and Food Safety, 2019 Pickling is one of the methods for preserving food. However, this term may refer to both types of products, that is, to those subjected to lactic acid fermentation and to marinated ones (acidified) that are usually produced by the addition of acetic...
  4. Mycosphere is an international peer-reviewed journal with swift publication of high quality papers on fungal biology. Mycospherehas no pageor open access charges and offers a free outlet for the publications of the mycology community.
  5. Abstract, 2016,Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences An edible mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) has a worldwide cultivation and is popular in Thailand where rubber sawdust is traditionally used in its cultivation. However, rubber sawdust is a relatively expensive substrate that...
  6. Abstract, Wheat straw has generally been used as the main substrate for cultivating oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus); however, in South Africa it is becoming expensive for small-scale farmers to utilise. Therefore, the main objective of the study was to investigate the use of alternative,...
  7. Abstract, 2008,Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems Mushroom is an important vegetable usually grows in the forest with its nutritive and medicinal value. It can also be cultivated domestically in a small scale by landless people. The climate of Bangladesh is highly favourable for high volume...
  8. Abstract, 2017,International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences Mushroom cultivation is a remunerative agribusiness in India and other parts of the world. Being an emerging commercial activity, many startup entrepreneurs are venturing into mushroom cultivation in India. Consumer...
  9. 2015-10-06
  10. 2015-05-12 How to cultivate mushrooms in the tropics, an introduction and overview.
  11. 1986-01-01 In addition to converting organic wastes into edible mushrooms, the spent compost, a byproduct of mushroom cultivation, can be used as organic soil conditionser/fertilizers. The range of possible applications of these technologies in this bulleting entitle "Guide to Mushroom Cultivation in the...
  12. 2005-01-01 Oyster, Shiitake and Wood Ear Mushrooms This Agrodok contains detailed information on how to grow three kinds of mushrooms: oyster, shiitake and wood ear mushrooms. These mushrooms are rather easy to grow on a small scale. Cultivation of the common white button mushroom and of the rice straw...
  13. A mushroom is defined as “a macrofungus with a distinctive fruiting body which can be either epigeous or hypogeous. The macrofungi have fruiting bodies large enough to be seen with the naked eye and to be picked up by hand” (Chang and Miles, 1992). In a narrow sense, the word mushroom also refers...
  14. 2021-02-12 Growing mushrooms can provide a useful extra income stream or supply additional protein for the family diet. This uses material from "Footsteps 99", the literary publication ofTEAR Fund, with kind permission. Illustrations by MissionAssist. This edition published in the United Kingdom in 2021 by...
  15. Access Agriculture Training Video Growing oyster mushrooms is easy and can earn you good money. As germs and moulds can grow easily, you must follow good hygiene practices when growing mushrooms at all times. Available languages Arabic Ateso Bambara Bangla Chichewa / Nyanja English French Kikuyu...
  16. Hu Y, Kakumyan P, Bandara AR, Mortimer PE 2021 – The nutrition, cultivation and biotechnology of Stropharia rugosoannulata. Fungal Biotec 1(1), 13–25, Doi 10.5943/FunBiotec/1/1/2 Stropharia rugosoannulata contain polysaccharides, sterols, lectins, flavonoids, vitamins and minerals. Various...
  17. Zurbano, L. Y., Antones, D. A., & Almoradie, C. M. C. (2022). Mycelial growth and basidiocarp production of Pleurotus species in substrates supplemented with fermented plant juice. AGRIVITA Journal of Agricultural Science, 44(3), 391-404. http://doi.org/10.17503/agrivita.v41i0.3080 Pleurotus...
  18. The mission ofFrontiers in Fungal Biologyis to bring the different fields of mycology together, with the ultimate goal of publishing research that makes a difference to people’s lives. Fungal biology spans agricultural, medical and applied industrial fields, yet it is a poorly represented...
  19. The importance and potential of mushroom is well known in many spheres of human life as well as ecosystem functions. Mushroom science has the potential to solve many problems such as quality food demand, environmental pollutions, unemployment and certain ecological issues in an amicable manner to...

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