Emerging mycoforestry technology for carbon-negative food production

All major food production categories in the UK emit greenhouse gases in their production, contributing to anthropogenically driven climate change. The development of novel technologies and approaches that can reduce this issue is important, not just for the UK, but also globally. An emerging technology of cultivating mushrooms with living trees, by covering the root system of tree planting stock with different edible fungi and planting new woodland, shows great promise to produce carbon negative food.

Research shows that using this approach in the UK climate can produce an annual food crop from newly planted trees of around 405kg per acre. With a protein content of around 17%, every kilogram of protein produced by this method can sequester around 406kg of carbon.

This two-year research project will develop the technology to a stage where it is ready to be employed and rolled-out on a commercial scale. This will create a carbon negative food crop, whilst also contributing all the benefits that woodland creation brings. These include biodiversity, conservational and flood mitigation benefits whilst triggering socio-economic development in rural areas.

Fostering collaboration between industry and academia through project partners Mycorrhizal Systems Ltd and the University of Stirling, this innovative project allows food production and afforestation goals to be achieved from the same parcel of land.