CNC

Overview

Project Summary

Mushrooms from “Farm to Fork” focuses on 3 main problems, in Portugal, and worldwide: a) the increased risk of metabolic disorders and premature death due to the change of eating habits; b) the public health crises due to the increase of chronic diseases associated with metabolic disorders; and c) the increase of greenhouse gas emissions, environmental degradation, and loss of biodiversity, with unprecedented records in human history, with direct impact on the vulnerability of human life, as consequence of dysfunctional food systems.

Activities

A1 – Development of specific formulations of agricultural and forestry waste residues (AFWR) for the production of Pleurotus ostreatus (PO) and Hericeum erinaceus (HE), both edible and medicinal

A2 – Trials for assessing the best AFWR formulations to produce PO and HE

A3 – Evaluation of nutritional and phytochemical properties of PO and HE, which will be continued with trials for assessing their potential therapeutic properties, with a focus on reducing the risk of obesity, diabetes, inflammation, and on improving the cellular metabolism

A4 – Development of a screening and certification system that allow the identification of critical points in production, the establishment of standardized protocols, and ensure the differentiation of products from local/regional origins

A5 – Establishment of a consultative panel with relevant actors from the agro-food and forestry chains, also from the health, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, biological conservation sectors

A6 - Dissemination (communication and exploitation) of the results

A7 – Project coordination and management

The project comprises 9 partners from research and education, agricultural production, industry, an association of producers, a local development association and a regional administration body, with centers of competence in the operational sectors of the project, and a transnational collaboration.

Main Goals

O1 – Value the agricultural and forestry waste residues (AFWR) for producing national mushrooms and substrates

O2 – Trace nutritional and phytochemical properties and metabolites (in mushrooms and substrate), and create the standardised cultivation protocols, following the selected AFWR formulations

O3 – Evaluate the benefits of mushroom consumption in reducing the risk of obesity, diabetes, inflammation, and to improve the cellular metabolism, and further link with the standardised cultivation protocols

O4 – Stimulate the integrated production of mushrooms (and substrates) with traceability measures, beginning on the AFWR formulations

O5 – Promote the benefits of mushroom consumption among relevant sectors, consumers and the general public, from youth on

O6 – Raise awareness, communicate, inform about the benefits of mushrooms as a contribution to a balanced healthy and sustainable diet, following collaborative approaches and dynamics, involving the relevant sectors, consumers, youth, the general public