(NC) Behold the humble mushroom. While most of us probably think of them as a tasty ingredient to add to soups, pizzas and veggie platters, mushrooms are both a versatile and sustainable foodstuff.
They’re water-friendly
While mushrooms themselves are mostly water, they require a lot less water to grow than many other foods we eat. It takes about 6.8 litres (1.8 gallons) to grow 0.5 kg (1 lb.) of mushrooms. Many of the other common vegetables that you find in your local supermarket can require an average of 17.6 litres (4.65 gallons) of water per pound of food and some animal proteins can tip the scales at an average of 1,180 litres (312 gallons) to produce a pound of protein.
They’re local
Mushrooms are grown by Canadian producers year-round, from coast to coast. When you buy from local growers, you reduce the carbon footprint needed to get the food from farm to table. The mushrooms themselves also have a small carbon footprint of 0.5 kg of carbon dioxide per pound (0.5 kg) of food.
They don’t need a lot of room
It takes very little space to grow a lot of mushrooms. With just 0.4 hectares (1 acre) of space, you can grow up to 450,000 kg (1 million lbs.) of mushrooms.
They’re energy-efficient
Growing mushrooms requires very little energy. In fact, you can grow one pound of mushrooms using just 1 kWh of electricity. That’s the same amount of energy needed to run a 100-watt lightbulb for 10 hours.
They’re a diverse, versatile ingredient
With dozens of varieties to choose from, including white, crimini, portabella, shiitake, oyster and king oyster, fresh mushrooms can be consumed raw or cooked, and used in an almost endless variety of recipes including soups, stews, pasta, stir-fries and salads.
Learn more at mushrooms.ca/sustainability.
