Line of action:

Terrestrial ecosystems

Status:

En ejecución

Location:

Huesca, Zaragoza, Teruel (Aragón)

Geographic scope:

España

Execution date:

2024

Duration:

01/01/2024 - 31/12/2025

Typology:

Development and diversification of forestry uses and harvests

Total budget:

775,580.56 euros

Amount of aid from the Biodiversity Foundation:

736,801.53 euros

Aragon has 2.2 million hectares producing mushrooms, a collecting population of more than 50% in rural areas and a growing mycotourism that generates more than 40% of the value of the resource. This mycological heritage is evidence of a Nature-Based Solution to respond to societal challenges such as climate change, the demographic challenge or the conservation of habitats that provide these ecosystem services. However, less than 2% of this production area is in transition to sustainable mycological management and valorization. The lack of sector structuring, the demographic challenge and the disconnection with science hinder innovation and the integration of the mycological resource in forest management. In addition, climate change threatens the resilience of producer habitats, urging the implementation of adaptation measures.

FUNGIVERSO will advocate myco-forestry to improve the resilience of habitats to global change, minimize the risk of forest fires and conserve fungal genetic resources. In addition, FUNGIVERSO will contribute to the demographic challenge by improving the excellence of the mycotourism product in rural areas and by mentoring the co-generation of new sustainable and inclusive business models based on fungal diversity (myco-materials, myco-protein alternatives to meat, nutraceuticals, cultivation of local strains…). Finally, FUNGIVERSO will take advantage of the potential of citizen science (Living Labs) to facilitate the participation of the sector and users in the co-innovation and generation of scientific knowledge, and will contribute to the exchange of best practices and social awareness through the organization of specific events and communication campaigns.

The main objective of FUNGIVERSO is to contribute to the conservation, management, resilience and valorization of habitats producing mycological resources in the face of global change and the demographic challenge.

• Project coordination, communication and dissemination.
• Vertebration of forest owners and managers under the figure of the network of Mycological Parks of Aragon.
• Implementation and improvement of a perennial process of sustainable and inclusive management of harvesting compatible with mycotourism in the Mycological Parks.
• Application of mycoelviculture in Mycological Parks prioritizing vulnerable areas and conservation of genetic resources.
• Support to entrepreneurs for the generation of business models based on mycological resources.
• Organization of meetings for the exchange of best practices in forest management, training and mycological co-innovation with all stakeholders in the sector (Living-Lab Fungiverso environment).