A BREAKTHROUGH in reconciling tree planting and food production has been made by an honorary professor at Stirling University.
Dr Paul Thomas, who conducted the research in Mexico, found that inoculating native trees with an edible mushroom can produce more protein per hectare than pasture-raised beef.
It also aids efforts towards reforesting areas, storing carbon and restoring biodiversity.
A target of ending deforestation by 2030 was a significant outcome from COP26, with trees primarily cut down to grow food for the world’s population.
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The blue-coloured mushroom, Lactarius indigo (pictured above), was found to produce 7.3kg of protein per hectare, compared with pasture beef production, which produces 4.8-7.0kg.
Soya can produce more than 200kg, but is grown as a monoculture, which depletes biodiversity and soil, releasing carbon into the atmosphere.
Trees, in comparison, enhance biodiversity and store carbon.
Lactarius indigo is grown on native pine and oaks, which provide habitats for mammals, birds, insects and other vegetation.
Thomas, from the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Stirling University, said: “Land-use conflict is the major driver of deforestation worldwide, with demand for agricultural output forecast to increase for years to come.
“This study presents a whole new way of looking at land use, making it possible to combine food production – in this case an edible mushroom already appreciated in Mexico – with the carbon sequestration, biodiversity and conservation goals that forestry achieves.”
The study, carried out with Dr Luis-Bernardo Vazquez of the Colegio de la Frontera Sur in Chiapas, Mexico, collated existing research, selecting areas that showed resilience against different climate change models.
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“We wanted to pick areas where we could be confident the mushroom can be grown in the long term,” said Thomas. “The next stage of our project will be to empower local communities to grow the mushrooms, which are already collected and sold at market. This will support rural development by producing food in a way that restores depleted landscapes.”
Thomas will launch a separate study in January to model growing mushrooms suited to the climate of northern Europe with native tree species.
The paper – “A novel approach to combine food production with carbon sequestration, biodiversity and conservation goals” – is published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.
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