Wild Edible Fungi: A Global Overview of Their Use and Importance to People

E. R. Boa, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Food & Agriculture Org., 2004 - Nature - 147 pages

Wild edible fungi are an important group of non-wood forest products: they are used as both food and medicine and provide income to many forest users and traders. This publication reviews the characteristics of fungi biology and ecology, as well as fungimanagement and their importance to people. Information is provided that will help forestry technicians, nutritionists, natural resource planners, policy makers and other stakeholders concerned appraise the opportunities and constraints in promoting the sustainable use of wild edible fungi.--Publisher's description.

Contents

• setting the scene: 1
• Disciplines and areas of activity containing information on wild useful fungi: 6
• biology ecology uses cultivation: 7
• Plant families with edible ectomycorrhizal fungi: 9
• Preferred current of correct names of economically important wild fungi: 12
• Important genera of wild fungi with notes on uses and trade: 14
• Fungi with conflicting reports on edibility: 16
• Incidents of large scale poisoning caused by consumption of wild fungi: 19
• wild edible fungi trees forest users: 25
• Sale of permits for collecting matsutake in Winema National Forest Oregon 19972002: 28
• Collecting wild fungi in the United Republic of Tanzania Mexico the Russian Federation Bhutan Finland India and China: 30
• Yields of wild edible fungi from different countries: 33
• National production of wild edible fungi: 34
• Preparing management guidelines for wild edible fungi: 35
• food income trade: 41
• Ethnoscientific studies of wild fungi with edible and medicinal properties: 43
• Nutritional composition of some wild edible fungi: 44
• Estimated nutritional values of some edible fungi: 46
• Properties and features of 25 major medicinal mushrooms: 48
• Local collection marketing and use of wild edible fungi: 50
• World production of cultivated mushrooms: 52
• domestic production and imports in tonnes to Japan 195099 53 22 Matsutake 2 exports to Japan in tonnes by various countries 199397: 53
• value of exports to Japan by various countries 199397: 54
• prospects actions opportunities: 59
• Information needs and issues concerning sustainable use of wild edible fungi: 62
• Sources of advice and information: 67
• Sources of technical advice and information on wild edible fungi: 68
• General Web sites on wild edible fungi and related topics: 69
• References: 71
• Annexes: 89

About the author

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Bibliographic information

• Title: Wild Edible Fungi: A Global Overview of Their Use and Importance to People; Issue 17 of Non-wood forest products, ISSN 1020-3370
• Authors: E. R. Boa, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org., 2004
• ISBN: 9251051577, 9789251051573
• Length: 147 pages
• Subjects: Nature / Plants / Mushrooms