ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL BENEFITS OF CULTIVATING THE OYSTER MUSHROOM PLEUROTUS OSTREATUS (JACQ.,) P. KUMM. IN A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION IN SOUTHWEST UGANDA

Abstract

The Mushroom Training and Resource Centre (MTRC) is an organization aimed at helping to improve the standard of living for current and future generations of rural residents in Uganda through mushroom cultivation and sales. This community organization was established in 2007 with the primary objective of teaching people from marginalized rural areas how to cultivate the oyster mushroom in a simple and sustainable manner. The fungi are grown on agricultural plant waste, which is transformed into valuable food. The production cycle, including the formation of oyster mushroom fruiting bodies, lasts a total of 4 months, achieving up to 100% biological efficiency. The sale of the fruiting bodies generates significant financial income, while the waste used for mushroom cultivation is converted into "mushroom compost", a valuable natural and organic fertilizer. The aim of current article is to present examples of successful oyster mushroom cultivation in the conditions of Sub-Saharan Africa, specifically in the southern part of equatorial Uganda, along with examples of actual economic evaluation of the entire production process. Mushroom cultivation does not require a specialized environment or significant expenses for modifying growth conditions. It does not necessitate fertile agricultural land for food production, ultimately making the mushroom cultivation process beneficial for the environment. The economic impact of the entire production process is directly linked to its environmental and social effects. Evaluating production efficiency, i.e., cost-to-income ratios, is a fundamental component of the current study. The presented data are the result of an accurate evaluation conducted over several years of MTRC's real activities. Using the example of the oyster mushroom, it is possible to showcase that cultivating various wood-decaying fungi can yield a variety of high-quality, tasty, and healthy mushroom fruiting bodies, leading to financial gains.