This Fungi Could Feed the World and Reduce Carbon in the Air

Amaze Lab

As humankind’s population continues to grow we’re running into a bit of a tradeoff, we’re destroying the habitats of animals to build farms to feed ourselves and releasing a ton of carbon while we do it. But now experts say we could kill two birds with one stone with these: edible mushrooms.

Transcript

00:00As humankind's population continues to grow, we're running into a bit of a trade-off.

00:08We're destroying the habitats of animals to build farms to feed ourselves,

00:11and releasing a ton of carbon while we do it.

00:14But now experts say we could kill two birds with one stone, with these, edible mushrooms.

00:19Science Alert reports that mushrooms have just about everything the body needs,

00:22including fiber and necessary fatty acids.

00:24And experts say fungi are actually closer to meat than they are to plants,

00:28and could be a protein substitute.

00:30But perhaps the best part is that mushrooms grow in areas that are forested,

00:33meaning we wouldn't have to cut down trees to farm them.

00:36And that means all of those trees can continue to capture carbon and house our planet's animals

00:40without us destroying them in their habitats.

00:43Researchers have been working on this type of co-cultivation for a while,

00:46with relative success with this alien-looking blue milk-cat mushroom.

00:50These mushrooms form symbiotic relationships with trees,

00:53siphoning nutrients from their roots while providing more carbon for the trees to grow.

00:57This is just part of a much-needed overhaul to the way humans eat,

01:00one that could lead to a more sustainable relationship with our planet.

Category

Transcript

Recommended