Mushrooms offer Mbale women a new livelihood

Long before mushrooms became a commercial enterprise, people relied on knowledge passed down from one generation to another to identify and collect edible varieties growing in forests, grasslands and other natural environments.

In Uganda, wild mushrooms have traditionally been collected as seasonal food in some communities.

Cultivation has, however, changed that relationship with the crop. Instead of waiting for mushrooms to appear naturally, farmers create controlled conditions in which edible varieties can be produced year-round.

The transition from gathering what nature…