Last month I tuned in to the sustainable Procurement Pledge webinar, run by the SPP Nature and Biodiversity Group and titled ‘Why Procurement Needs to Care About Fungi’,
I thought it might be reasonably interesting, but I can honestly say that it was one of the very best presentations I have heard in my several decades in procurement. Well done to Emma Howcroft, the speaker, who took us though a very clear, informative and ultimately rather inspiring explanation of how fungi can contribute to four different aspects of sustainability. Here are some headlines.
Fungi as a solution to our agricultural and food challenges
Most of us know that fungi can create foodstuffs that have a much lower carbon footprint than meat. That can be in the form of basic mushrooms, or as an element in more processed ‘artificial meat’ type products, although it is worth saying that not everyone thinks these products are actually that positive form a sustainability point of view.
A different type of benefit comes how fungi can help other plants, supporting their growth and nurturing their root systems. I was vaguely aware of this but not quite how strong an effect that can be, as fungi improves soil ecology, and increases crop yields. So coming on to practical steps procurement can take, if your organisation is involved in any tree-planting exercises, either directly or as part of an offset programme, ‘inoculating’ the tree by putting ‘pellets’ of appropriate fungi in the ground when planting can boost its chance of survival and encourage growth.
Fungi as a nature-based solution e.g. contributing to net zero challenges
The benefits of fungi in terms of mitigating carbon emissions are probably less well known than their use as a food, but fungi acts as a huge global carbon store. So, for instance, “Mycorrhizal fungi are responsible for holding up to 36 per cent of yearly global fossil fuel emissions below ground - more than China emits each year”. That is also more than the earth’s forests, and more than the oceans! When you consider that, it is truly extraordinary.
Fungi as an alternative material
Many of us probably were aware of the use of fungi as an alternative packaging material. It can be grown in seven days, is fire and water resistant and bio-degradable of course. It is also used as a leather alternative, but I had no idea that fungi can be used in other areas, including to make floor tiles or sound insulation material! It is perfect for coffins too, apparently …
Fungi as a solution to pollution
There are also multiple use cases where fungi can help to remove or degrade pollutants. For instance, fungi can remove E.coli from waste material or water. In one study, Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom) removed 99.25% of E. coli from inoculated water in a lab setting over 96 hours. In another study, a mycofilter containing this fungus removed 98% of E. coli from a pond setting. Fungi can filter run-off water, removing harmful chemicals that would pollute waterways. It can even help to remedy diesel fuel contamination in the soil.
Clearly, fungi is a remarkable natural resource, and something that we should perhaps look at more carefully in terms of sustainability strategies and approaches. As Howcroft pointed out, published ‘nature based frameworks’ rarely mention fungi, and articles on nature-based solutions to sustainability problems also ignore fungi in the vast majority of cases.
There are also fungi-based start-ups that might be interesting investment opportunities, and generally we need to explore further just what this remarkable natural resources can do for the world. So do take a look at the whole presentation here; I’m sure you will find it interesting and you may well get some ideas for ways your organisation can use fungi to help achieve sustainability goals.
You might also want to check out SPUN - ‘a scientific research organization founded to map mycorrhizal fungal communities and advocate for their protection” with a very interesting website here.