One of the key roles that mushrooms/ fungi play is supporting the decomposition of organic matter, while keeping it moving through the carbon cycle. This makes mushrooms/fungi important in helping us tackle challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss and food security.
As indicated by the United Nations
Africa is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events affecting various regions, impacting ecosystems and livelihoods, increasing water scarcity and contributing to desertification.
There is reduced crop yields, that have affected livelihoods of many who depend on agriculture. Adaptation strategies are crucial for building resilience in the agricultural sector.
Indoor mushroom cultivation requires a limited amount of water that can even be reused as compared to other crops. This contributes to Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in dry areas while decreasing average rainfall leads to more frequent and more prolonged dry spells.
Mushroom growing improves food security because mushrooms are cheap and easy to grow. They usually grow rapidly and harvesting can start within a few weeks.
Through the provision of income and improved nutrition, successful cultivation and trade in mushrooms can strengthen livelihood assets, which not only reduce vulnerability to shocks, but enhance an individual's or a community's capacity to act upon other economic opportunities.
Mushrooms and mushroom growing is the solution to the 24% deaths among women aged 1-49 were attributed to poverty related factors; sanitation, nutrition, and inadequate care(UBOS- 2020)
22 children under 5 years estimated to die every day in Uganda due to poverty related diseases (UNICEF-2020)
55 children under 18years estimated to died every day in Uganda due to poverty related causes; malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia (UNICEF-2020)
24% deaths among women aged 15 to 49 years were attributes to poverty related factors (UNICEF-2020)
More to that, Mushrooms is a solution to deaths largely attributed to Malnutrition;
1 child every 2 seconds; 640 children every hour; 15,000 children every day5.5 million children every year
Why and How Mushrooms and Mushroom growing is the solution
Low technology used in mushroom growing
Using Affordable substrate and spawn
Affordability makes mushroom growing cost-effective to produce nutritious food or generate income. With only $10 you start mushroom growing
Sustainability through use of agricultural waste or other organic materials as
Accessibility at the Mushroom growing center
Eco-Agric Uganda making spawn
Nutritional benefits: Mushrooms are a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Overall, mushrooms provide a sustainable, affordable, and nutritionally valuable food source using simple, accessible methods that can benefit both individuals and communities.
Mushroom Business model
Clients: Every one is a mushroom client. Individual consumers, restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, institutions, and industries like those; that add value, make soft drinks etc.
Easy and quick marketing channels. Door to door, selling points, radios, social media.
No cultural attachments: Women, Youth, Men and Children eat mushrooms
Culturally preserved; Through the Butiko Clan
We sale through local markets: Directly to local markets, including; farmers' markets, roadside stands, and market stalls.
Cooperatives by bulking at Eco- Agric Uganda: This will helps accessing larger markets, negotiate better prices, and improve their bargaining power
Online platforms: With the increasing use of technology and e-commerce, some girls in Hoima are selling mushrooms online through TikTok.
Direct sales to institutions: schools, hospitals, catering companies, and other institutions to supply mushrooms directly.
Overall, the marketing/distribution channels for mushrooms involve a combination of local markets, wholesalers, cooperatives, online platforms, and direct sales to customers, depending on the farmers' marketing strategies, target customers, and business goals.
Mushrooms Go-to-Market Plan
Held Market Research: Identified key customer segments, competitors, pricing trends, distribution channels, and potential partners.
Product Positioning: Mushrooms have many different unique selling points;
Can be sold fresh.
Have high nutritional benefits.
They grow with locally available cheap materials for sustainability.
Mature quickly, within one month you have mushrooms.
Require small initial capital; Sh 100,000/= ($30) you start mushroom growing business.
Require small space as compared to other vegetables.
Need Mushroom distribution points: local markets, wholesalers, supermarkets, restaurants, online platforms, and institutional buyers. Develop partnerships with distributors or retailers to expand the market.
Promotion and Marketing: Online and offline marketing, local radio stations, promotions, sampling events, and partnerships with influencers or food bloggers.
NB: Sales agents, teams and representatives will be trained on product knowledge, customer service, and sales techniques for effective mushrooms promotion.
Quality Control and Assurance: Build a reputation for consistent, quality and reliability in the market. Done for food safety standards; fresh and nutritious, and delivered in optimal condition. Each farmer gets 40 mushroom blocks
Customer Feedback and Engagement; Collect feedback from customers, adapting to market trends, and continuously improving the product offered based on customer preferences. Customers relationships built through excellent service, communication, and responsiveness to their needs.
Competition analysis
Existing and potential competitor’s; strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats assessed
Existing Competitors; Other vegetables. However, mushrooms are highly nutritious, marketable, easy to market, medicinal easy and quick to cook and fetch a lot of money.
Distribution Channels: Local markets, supermarkets, restaurants, online platforms, and institutional buyers. They will share a market with other vegetables too.
What has been done to date
Eco-Agric Uganda has been involved in mushroom growing since 2010
Promotes Mushroom growing among women; over 6,456 people have benefited
In 2019, scarcity of cotton husks used as mushroom substrate led Eco-Agric Uganda to identify other local cheap materials as mushroom growing substrate and was successful with using coffee husks, dry banana leaves, soya bean plus bean husks and many others
In 2020, we encountered a challenge of poor mushroom spawn quality and we embarked on learning how to make good quality mushroom spawn
In 2021 we established a mushroom growing and training center with a mushroom laboratory where we produce good quality spawn and mushroom blocks given to women to grow for income
From 2020 to date, we have taught 25,670 women and given out over 20,000 mushroom blocks
After women acquiring the skill of mushroom growing, they will start growing mushrooms for income. We would like to have 500 women supported with 40 mushroom blocks to start commercial mushroom growing and bulky mushrooms for continuous mushroom supply
In 2025, we would like to have 200 women growing Oyster mushrooms commercially and 5 women growing Lions Mane mushrooms. In 2026 we would like to double the number of women growing mushrooms commercially respectively.
Holding workshops to train women and other community members
Held the first African Mushroom festival in 2023 that was attended by over 1000 people. Will hold the second festival September 9th to 11th 2024
Please support mushrooms save the world
Please volunteer onsite or virtually lets fill the international Mushroom committee
Send us mushroom culture
Please buy a tapestry or dress. These have been made from mushroom growing proceeds. You are giving us a fishing net
Donate through the link for the completion of the training area and construction of the dormitory: https://donorbox.org/share-a-mushroom-garden
https://donorbox.org/share-a-mushroom-garden
We need research for proper documentation of everything that is being done
Please Ohio Mushroom Festival we would like to attend this festival annually so that there is continuity
We need partnership with university or any entity.
Lets have the mushroom training center completed by June 2024 so that we have a descent place from where we can spread mushroom Love
PLEASE NOTE
Eco-Agric Uganda is fiscally sponsored by Angels for Angels.
website https://www.angelsforangels.net
EIN is 275180670
Fiscal sponsorship started in 2019.
“As required by federal tax law, once a donation has been processed, it becomes the property of Angels for Angels, and Angels for Angels has exclusive legal control over the donated funds. Angels for Angels will make a good faith effort to utilize a gift for the purposes of the project named, however, Angels for Angels reserves the right to re-grant gifts where, in Angels for Angels sole discretion, the recommended project is not furthering its specified charitable purposes or when, for example, such project falls out of compliance with a federal or state regulatory authority. If Angels for Angels cannot regrant a donation to or for the purposes of a project that you have recommended, Angels for Angels may in its sole discretion select an alternate recipient, expend the funds in furtherance of the intended charitable purpose itself, or contact you for a different recommendation. Angels for Angels is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Financial and other information about Angels for Angels’s purpose, programs, and activities can be obtained from the Charities Program at 1-800-332-4483, or www.sos.wa.gov/charities.”