Edible fungi crops through mycoforestry, potential for carbon negative food production and mitigation of food and forestry conflicts

Abstract

Demand for agricultural land is a potent accelerating driver of global deforestation, presenting multiple interacting issues at different spatiotemporal scales. Here we show that inoculating the root system of tree planting stock with edible ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) can reduce the food-forestry land use conflict, enabling appropriately managed forestry plantations to contribute to protein and calorie production and potentially increasing carbon sequestration. Although, when compared to other food groups, we show that EMF cultivation is inefficient in terms of land use with a needed area of ~668 m2 y kg−1 protein, the additional benefits are vast. Depending on the habitat type and tree age, greenhouse gas emissions may range from -858 to 526 kg CO2-eq kg−1 protein and the sequestration potential stands in stark contrast to 9 other major food groups. Further, we calculate the missed food-production opportunity of not incorporating EMF cultivation into current forestry activities, an approach that could enhance food security for millions of people. Given the additional biodiversity, conservational and rural socioeconomic potential, we call for action and development to realise the sustainable benefits of EMF cultivation.