Imagine that residues from fields and forests are no longer a problem, but a valuable resource. This is precisely what the MUSA research project is working on. Together with colleagues from Norway, Sweden and Estonia, researchers will attempt to find out how fungi can give us more food, less waste, and a cleaner environment.
Mushrooms from waste
Today, we import almost all the edible mushrooms we eat. But mushrooms such as shiitake and oyster mushrooms can actually be grown in Norway, even in winter.
The MUSA project uses cut straw and wood chips from agriculture and forestry as ‘soil’ to grow edible mushrooms. This way, the food is locally sourced, and farmers can use raw materials that would otherwise be thrown away.
Spent mushroom substrate – from waste product to gold
After the mushrooms have been harvested, the producer is left with large amounts of mushroom residue – up to five kilograms for every kilogram of edible mushrooms. This residue is called SMS (spent mushroom substrate). Instead of throwing it away, MUSA is investigating how it can be turned into something new.
Professor Carlos Martín Medina explains:
"SMS is the solid waste that remains after harvesting mushrooms. It has great potential because it is a source of bioactive substances, sugars and structural polymers. The bioactive substances can be used to produce medicines, food supplements, cosmetic products and functional materials. The sugar can be used as a substrate for fermentation with yeast or bacteria to produce biofuels, biopolymers, lipids, proteins, etc. The structural polymers (lignin, cellulose, chitin) and biopolymers can be used to produce bio-based packaging materials and for biomedical applications.
It turns out that fungal residues contain many substances that can be beneficial to both humans and plants. For example, various types of natural substances have been found that act as antioxidants and can protect cells from damage. Such substances can be used in food, dietary supplements or to strengthen plants.
In addition, researchers are attempting to extract a substance from fungal residues that can be converted into vitamin D₂, which laboratory tests have shown to inhibit cancer cells.
With the right process development, SMS could become the raw material for a new generation of ‘mycotherapeutics’ and bio-based products. We could have locally sourced, protein-rich edible mushrooms on Norwegian dinner tables, become less dependent on imported soy and palm oil, reduce emissions from artificial fertilisers, and gain new income opportunities for agriculture and the bio-industry.
As project manager Professor Carlos Martín Medina says:
"Fungi are the future. We are only just beginning to understand all they can do for us – from feeding people to repairing the soil we cultivate.
Natural ‘super substances’
Different types of fungi provide different compositions of these healthy components, and residues can be used, among other things, to make liquid extracts that act as natural pesticides and help make crops more resistant to disease.
Fungi as fuel – ‘cascade use’
The MUSA project takes a holistic approach: they want to use fungal residues in several stages before anything goes to incineration. First, fungi are grown on plant waste. Afterwards, the same residues are used to produce, among other things, biofertilizer, fuel and soil improvers.
For example, researchers have found that one tonne of birch chips can first produce 600 kg of fresh shiitake mushrooms, then 130 litres of bioethanol and finally 300 kg of solid, combustible material. In other variants, mushroom waste can contribute to biogas, which both provides energy and can improve the soil.
"If we are to succeed with the green transition, we need projects like this. Resources that we previously considered waste can be turned into food, energy and new products of great value to both society and industry. When we invest in this type of knowledge, we are laying the foundation for sustainable solutions that provide better food security, new jobs and stronger Norwegian agriculture – while also helping to solve major climate and environmental challenges," says Mari Sundli Tveit, CEO of the Research Council of Norway.
Biofertilizer and clean water
Another important part of MUSA is to investigate how fungal residues can be used as natural fertiliser. Initial trials show that this can improve the soil and help plants absorb nutrients better. In addition, methods are being developed to use fungal residues to purify wastewater before it is used for irrigation.
Nordic cooperation adds value and delivers faster results
No country can solve climate challenges alone. MUSA is led by Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences and is carried out in close cooperation with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the University of Tartu and the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research.
The project is part of the NordForsk programme for sustainable agriculture and climate change, and is funded by the Research Council of Norway, the Swedish Research Council Formas and the Estonian Research Council. This means that both Nordic and Baltic authorities are behind the initiative, and each partner contributes specialist expertise, from mushroom cultivation and chemical analysis to agronomy and water purification.
Nordic-Baltic cooperation is particularly valuable in agriculture and the bioeconomy, as the countries share similar natural resources, climatic conditions and social structures that facilitate joint solutions.
The Nordic-Baltic region has similar raw materials such as straw, wood chips and other plant waste that can be used for growing edible mushrooms and developing bio-based products. This provides a common starting point for developing sustainable solutions that can be implemented across national borders.
When one country makes progress in the circular bioeconomy, for example by converting agricultural waste into edible mushrooms, biofertilizer or bioenergy, the knowledge can be quickly transferred to neighbouring countries with similar resources and production conditions. Through the MUSA project, researchers and industry are collaborating to develop value chains where edible mushrooms are grown using local resources, and the residues are reused in several stages.
This can provide new income opportunities for agriculture, reduce dependence on imports, and strengthen food security and the green transition throughout the region. ‘Through collaboration with researchers across the Nordic region and in Estonia, we have shown that there is much we can do together to make our planet a better place to live,’ says Professor Medina.
What does this mean for society?
If MUSA succeeds, Norway and other countries could gain:
- More climate-friendly food: Locally grown edible fungi could replace some of the meat in our diet.
- Less waste: Mushroom waste becomes raw material for new products, not rubbish.
- New sources of income: Farmers and forest owners can earn money by supplying waste material for mushroom production and further processing.
- Green industry: Healthy substances from mushroom waste can provide the basis for new industries in medicine, dietary supplements and plant protection.
- Better environment: Natural biofertiliser and purified wastewater reduce the use of artificial fertilisers and chemicals.
In other words: what is currently waste can be turned into nutrients, energy, medicines and much more. Mushrooms are not just something we pick in the forest. They can become an important part of the sustainable society of the future.