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We have been eating mushrooms for thousands of years.
Seriously: Way (way, way) back to the Upper Paleolithic, analysis of ancient dental calculus suggests that the human diet included plant foods and mushrooms.
Since then, over the centuries, we have created countless recipes with different types of mushrooms. No doubt: Portobello makes an average burger filling, while button mushrooms are the perfect accompaniment to English fries.
But in the past few years, innovations in industries from food to fashion have been looking at mushrooms in new ways. In fact, fungi have so much potential and versatility that it begs the question: Are we entering the age of mushrooms?
Let’s start with how the humble fungi can change the future of food for the better.
Durable, versatile material
It’s no secret at this point: the food system needs some serious work. Today, raising animals for meat is depleting the Earth’s resources, releasing planet-warming gases, and killing billions of animals.
One of the worst emissions from animal husbandry is methane. The gas is more than 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Every year, just one cow emits 220 kilograms of methane into the atmosphere.
But good news: mushrooms do not spoil. They do not produce methane. And they can make a great plant-based steak option. British brand Quorn has known this for some time.
Founded in the 1980s, Quorn has partnerships with major chains such as KFC, Greggs and PizzaExpress to make vegan and vegetarian meat products using mycoprotein. Aka fusarium venatum, is a type of mycoprotein fungus.
By fermentation, Quorn creates a substance with a mouthfeel and texture very similar to meat. But the release is a partial release.
Other brands seized on the mushroom’s potential. Take the Mushroom Meat Company for example. Gourmet creates pork and beef-free shreds and patties using mushrooms, organic plant proteins, and herbs and spices.
In fact, in 2020, the world mushroom market size was more than 14 million tons. In the year By 2028, it is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.74 percent. Fortune Business Insights named meat substitutes as a key driver of the market, “combined with the growing number of vegans.”
This is good news for the planet. Collecting fungi not only produces a small amount of emissions, but also heals the environment as the mushroom grows.
Mushrooms help to decompose organic matter, for example, it returns useful substances to the earth. They also contain carbon. In the year A 2013 study found that fungi are responsible for most of the carbon sequestration in forests in northern Sweden.
The benefits of mushrooms do not end there. They are also popular in the wellness world, known for improving mental and physical well-being. Andrew and Simon Salter, founders of mushroom tea and coffee brand Dirtea, can attest to these benefits.
Health benefits
In the year In 2016, the Salter brothers were burned out from working constantly and not getting enough sleep. Mental fatigue was accompanied by physical issues. “We’re screwed,” they told him. Plant-based news. “Dull skin, tired body, tired mind.
They visit a GP, who offers them no “real cure”, they wait, and desperation finally leads them to a mushroom tea ceremony in London. The experience proved the health benefits of mushrooms and completely changed their lives. Later, their mushroom drink brand Dirtea was born.
“After the ceremony, we decided to take these mushroom powders and feel the results in the next two weeks,” he said. “It wasn’t long before we both felt better. Our sleep improved, stress and anxiety were under control, and we had more clarity than ever.
Research backs up their experience: A study last year (involving more than 24,000 participants), linked mushroom consumption to a reduced risk of depression or anxiety. The researchers put this down to their high antioxidant content, which reduces oxidative stress and inflammation (risk factors for stress).
“There are so many clinical studies that consistently show us how mushrooms can heal, and these can’t be easily ignored,” says Salters.
The pair’s products include lion’s mane mushroom powder (lion’s mane has been linked to many health benefits, including improved digestion and better brain function).
There is also reishi mushroom powder, chaga mushroom powder and cordyceps mushroom powder. All can be drunk as tea, blended into smoothies or mixed into coffee.
“Mushrooms are low in calories, carbohydrates, fat and sodium,” the founders continue. “They are cholesterol-free and provide important nutrients including selenium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D, proteins and fiber.
There is no doubt that mushrooms benefit us and the planet when we eat and drink them. But we can take it a step further and wear them. This has further benefits for animals and rainforests as well.
The rise of mushroom skin
From bags to shoes to belts, leather is used frequently in the fashion industry. But the process of preparing this material, which is usually extracted from cows, is destructive to the environment and wildlife.
Last year, for example, an investigation linked several brands (including H&M, Adidas, Nike, Zara and Fendi) to deforestation in the Amazon. This is because their leather supply chain is linked to GBS, a meat industry giant and Brazil’s largest leather exporter.
The world’s largest tropical rainforest, the Amazon is one of the 10 most endangered or threatened species on Earth, including species such as pink river dolphins and jaguars.
JBS is famous for its role in Amazon deforestation (despite its pledge). No wonder: cattle ranching (for the meat and leather industry) accounts for 80 percent of deforestation in the Amazon as a whole.
But leather production is not only harmful to wildlife, but also to farm cows. Some projections show that by 2025, the leather industry will slaughter about 430 million cows each year.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Because mushrooms can do the same job as cowhide. Stella McCartney confirmed. In July this year, the brand launched its first luxury bag made from Mylo leather with Bolt Threads. The material solutions company makes leather using mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms. In the year In 2020, the designer’s label launched tops and pants, made by Milo.
Bolt Trades CEO Dan Widmeier said the partnership was an “honour”.
“[Stella McCartney’s] The animal-free fashion leadership category-defining and sustainable materials championship is paving the way forward for a more responsible fashion industry. “Bringing a luxury bag made from Mylo to market for the first time in history is a milestone for conscientious consumers, the biometrics industry and the future of luxury fashion.”
Stella McCartney is not alone. In the year In 2021, Hermès announced a partnership with biometrics company MycoWorks to create a mushroom leather travel bag. That same year, adidas partnered with Bolt Threads to launch a new Milo range of Stan Smith sneakers.
In the year By 2026, the bio-based leather market (including mushroom leather) is forecast to reach $870 million. But many think it will continue to rise: mushroom leather is stretchable, versatile, sustainable and deforestation- and cruelty-free. It’s only a matter of time before it becomes normal.
So give it a few years and you might be sipping your mushroom tea, after demolishing your mushroom steak, before unzipping your mushroom leather pants. It’s already happening: the age of fungi is upon us.
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