FAO mushroom farming

new techniques and/or varieties is
important to the sustainability of
trade. External actors, whether NGOs
or entrepreneurs, are particularly
important in supporting innovations
which can be vital to maintain trade.
Length of marketing chain can
influence resilience, which may be
greatest for shorter chains.
High levels of transparency, both
in setting prices and in defining the
rules of trade, is often linked to the
concentration of market power and
good producer organizations may help
overcome this. The price received by
growers should reflect production
costs, including their labour, but these
are often difficult to define because
local wage rates can vary by season.
Organization can help producers
and processors to be more resilient to
external shocks, and markets may also
be made accessible by community
organization. A cooperative may be
formed for marketing mushrooms
produced by small villagers as well
as relatively large growers. Through
collective pooling of their resources
and crop, cultivators are better
able to create a sustainable flow of
mushrooms to supply the market.
Members can split the transport costs,
and the cost burden to the individual
farmer is decreased. The cooperative
can also be used to train members
and can assist in empowering poorer
growers in the community, including
women.
Make money by growing mushrooms
37