Printed in Spring of 2010 Used for educational purposes All pictures belong to author
(or were blatantly stolen from online resources in the interests of a greater good. Please don’t sue me.)
MUSHROOMS FOR HAITI a proposal to use mushroom cultivation in developing countries to help rebuild soil nutrients, feed families, provide jobs, and improve overall well-being in a large- and small- scale context.
Corey R. Vaughan
TREMORS & The earthquakes of January 2010 shook a country already in shambles. Over 250,000 were reported dead, and the numbers continued to rise. The NY Times estimated that up to 97% of the schools had been destroyed. Millions of men, women and children, from infants to the elderly, were made homeless overnight.
Disaster relief was quick, despite logistics such as landing planes on runways designed for smaller craft, broken roads, and a decimated communications system.
AFTERSHOCKS However, as the relief progressed, certain other inadequacies came to surface. They were not just problems created by the earthquake. They were issues that had always existed in Haiti, yet had never been addressed or made aware to the global spectrum. Volunteers who first responded to the afflicted areas were shocked to discover the lack of amenities that city dwellers in developed countries deem absolutely necessary were pretty much nonexistent in Haiti. For example, there was no sewage collection or treatment system in place. The government didn’t even have a department to deal with sewage. All of this was happening in place that could be flown to from Miami in less than two hours.
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The Big Picture By studying not only the immediate damage of the earthquake, but also the underlying issues that face the Haitian people daily, I hoped to develop a system that could be implemented with a consideration for a long-term improvement in the quality of living in Haiti. Corruption and greed have been devastating Haiti since the day Columbus landed in 1492. The effects of this are still felt by more than 95% of the population, which lives in extreme poverty.
Why were cities overcrowded? There had been a mass migration from rural areas into Port-au-Prince since farming became less profitable. Why was farming less profitable? Due to lack of soil nutrients, the land produced less and less each year. Eventually, the price of imported rice was below that of locally grown rice.
Why was the death toll so high?
Cities were overcrowded, so falling buildings caused more casualties. Why did the buildings fall? There was a lack of enforcement of building code. Why wasn’t there a standard building code enforced?
Why was the soil so poor? Mass deforestation on the part of the poverty-stricken Haitians in order to produce charcoal for sale or use. Why didn’t the government enforce codes?
Government didn’t provide adequate resources for enforcement, and buildings were cheaper and easier to build without regarding them. Why and how were they built cheaper?
Summarily, this was a process of asking “why?” over and over again, until root causes were fleshed out.
By cutting corners on mixing concrete, reinforcing structures, and meeting safety requirements.
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Focus By critically analyzing the root causes of problems in Haiti, main contributors were found and focused on. This is by no means a comprehensive list, however they were the most available to direct change through the filters of design as applied by a student.
SOIL DEPLETION NUTRITION POVERTY / UNEMPLOYMENT SOCIAL / CULTURAL BOUNDARIES TRASH AND DEBRIS BUILDUP
Inspire It was important to avoid a design concept or solution that would be difficult to implement. Sure, a flashy flat-pack house or a sleek solar powered geo-locator would look great in a portfolio, but more importantly I wanted to make a positive difference in the lives of the people of Haiti. I began to look at what the Haitian people could do for themselves, without enforcing dependence on foreign aid. I also wanted to be sure to address the problems that Haiti faced, on any scale possible. I found an answer in nature: mushrooms. People of Haiti could grow some of their own food, create jobs, return nutrients to the soil, and use discarded cellulose-based material to do it. All of these addressed the issues in a small way, but with problems so large, any changes for the better make a huge impact.
Design for Haiti
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Why Mushrooms? Concepts for Haiti
What are they?
A Short List of Materials Available to Mushroom Consumption Cellulose-based material (cardboard, paper, wood, certain fibers) Manure Aluminum and other metals Nuclear waste Ammunitions Processing food waste Petroleum oil Human hair Coffee grounds VX (nerve gas) Plastics (corn or soy based) Insects
Nature’s Decomposers Google it! “mushrooms, bioremediation”
A Short List of Edible Gourmet Mushrooms ($50 / lb.) Morel
Chanterelle King Trumpet Oyster Enoki Beech Bolete Lions Mane Reishi Shiitake Truffle Pioppino
Food Google it! “gourmet mushrooms, recipes”
A Short List of Medicinal Mushrooms Cordyceps (stamina, 1994 Olympics) Chaga (anti-aging, antioxidants) Reishi (general tonic, ancient medicine) Lions Mane (anti-Alzheimers, NGF) Shiitake (antioxidants) Turkey Tail (immune system booster) Oyster (heavy metal poisoning) Agaricus Blazei (anti-cancer, anti-tumor) Ice man polypore (prehistoric medicine, , anti-viral) Honey mushroom (anti-radiation) Inky Caps (treat alcoholism) UV exposed mushrooms (Vitamin D)
Healers Google it! “medicinal mushrooms, uses�
Cycle of Mycoremediation 1. Disaster (oil spill)
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2. Inoculation. Mycelium (mushroom roots) are introduced to the affected area. 3. Recovery. Mycelium begins to break down PAH bonds of petroleum, turning it into usable nutrients for plant life. 4. Mushrooms grow from mycelium, sporulate, and die, begin to rot. 5. Repopulate. Rotting mushrooms attract insects. Insects attract birds, who reseed the area through droppings. Seeds sprout and begin to colonize nutrient-rich zone.
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3 4
5
6. Spores released in step 4 grow new mycelium, new mushrooms, and continue to strengthen the process.
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7. Remediation. Trees, mushrooms, insects, birds, and other animals can now inhabit the area.
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Rebuilders Google it! “mycoremediation, paul stamets�
Mycelial Mats A mycelial mat in Oregon has been officially accounted for as the world’s largest organism. Mycelium is just now gaining recognition as a way to naturally filter out toxins and sediment from water. Fisheries in Washington now use mycelial mats to protect fish that were once continuously poisoned with E. coli in the outflow of surrounding dairy farms. How does it work? Paul Stamets discovered that the organism produced crystalline entities advancing in front of the growing mycelium, disintegrating when they encountered E. coli. As they did so, a chemical signal was sent back to the mycelium that, in turn, generated what appeared to be a customized macro-crystal which attracted the motile bacteria by the thousands, summarily stunning them. The advancing mycelium then consumed the E. coli, effectively eliminating them from the environment.
Water Filters Google it! “mycelial mats, remediation�
How can they help?
“Haitians LOVE djon djon. It’s integral to our identity”
Culture
The Djon-Djon (mushroom) is already ingrained into Haitian culture. Riz DjonDjon is a real treat for the Haitian people, and is very simple to make. Nutrition 1-2.7 g of protein and 20 calories per 85 g of mushroom. (about 5 button mushrooms or 1 portobello cap.) Only non-animal food source of bioavailable B12. A serving of mushrooms provides over 20% of the RDI for each of the B vitamins riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, and the minerals selenium and copper. Only non-animal food to provide vitamin D. The mushroom has all the attributes of a superfood – nutrient-rich, flavourrich, low in kilojoules, high in bioactive compounds, cancer risk-reducing, easyto-get and affordable.
As Food Google it! “mushrooms, nutrition”
Diet A healthy diet of mushroom intake and variety can have the following health benefits: Improved cholesterol Stronger bones Improved immune system Stable blood sugar Medicine Mushrooms as medicine predates history. Otzi the ice man was discovered carrying two types of medicinal mushrooms. Anti-viral Immuno-boosting properties Anti-bacterial Stamina-increasing
As Medicine Google it! “mushroom dietary facts�
Summary Mushrooms are nature’s first line of response in soil reproduction. Fungi is the sole decomposer of lignin and cellulose, a function no other organism can accomplish. They transport nutrients and water through vast networks not only to themselves, but to other organisms connected to their network. They return nutrients to the environment that would otherwise lay unutilized. Mushroom farming requires little space, a condition many Haitians are facing with the division of their lands. Growing mushrooms is a closed loop system. “Seeds” (spores) need to only be imported once. After that, the reproductive cycle of fungi takes care of the rest for an indefinite amount of time. The mushroom farming industry is a USD $9 billion market, and continuously growing in value.
As a Future Google it! “paul stamets, ted talks”
Implementation This concept set is aimed specifically at the opportunity for Les Abricots. In a design breif, they mentioned an abundance of coconuts. Coconut fiber (coir) is commonly used for a variety of things, including as a substrate for mushroom cultivation. Les Abricots could use coconut fiber to grow commercial mushrooms, providing food and exports. Startup costs are relatively small, as is the required space for a small cultivation operation.
For Haiti
Threats Resources. How much waste is produced? Will the coconut require further processing than is currently used? How much water will be required to maintain an acceptable micro-climate? Electricity? Mushrooms of any type need to be properly cooked to ensure complete digestion. A raw mushroom only provides indigestible fiber. Can it be ensured that mushrooms will be cooked instead of eaten raw?
Bottlenecks
Questions and Comments This concludes my project proposal. I’m always eager to chat about mycology in general, usually to the point of annoyance. So feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, concerns. cvaugh26@student.scad.edu Thanks for reading!
Thank you
Visual Aids By visually showing the relationship that mushroom cultivation can have on different areas in Haitian culture and lifestyle, I hope to show the large area of opportunity that is covered by such a system.
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Nutrition Summary
47% of population sufffers malnourishment (pre quake)
Diet Much of the traditional Haitian
and fruits (which are called “protective foods”.) Vegetables
sufficiently. In 1990
are common as well.
Edu catio n
malnourishment was at 65%. It
Rice, plantains, corn, cassava
dropped as NGOs sent aid, and
bread, breadfruit, potato,
as Haiti dropped tarriffs on
cornmeal, oatmeal, and pasta
imported foods, the market
are commonly found in
turned in favor of imports,
markets.
making farming even less
However, most of the
Sum mar E du
population is too poor to
profitable than before. Haiti land does support a wide
variety of fruits and vegetables, c
atio n
however soil depletion Fre is a
nch
is ba
y
sed
syst on th em . e Fren en a fter ch is onw the ards sixth . Th grad Hait e avera e ian a du g e years lt re ciev of e es 2 du c lifeti .8 atio m e. n in S cho their mem ol is oriz basi atio c ro bein n , te with g ra rely textb stud give o ok ents n to s . At sing one le cla time ssro , a or 4 om diffe c a n ho rent with ld 3 grad their es , e ow n ac h T ho teac u gh her. pub “free lic sc ” ma ho o ny c l is add an’t ition affo al c o rd unif sts su orm ch a s. s main concern.
spok
common and fairly cheap. Meat is expensive and more highly prized.
intake, high in starchy foods
could not support themselves
Infographics
Present Foods Easily found in the market, rice is very
diet consists of low meat
access a variety diet. Imported rice is commonly consumed. Among the very poor, clay
cookies are baked and sold for very cheap.
Beans Rice Bread White flour
Throughout the class, research was split up between class members and depicted visually in order to convey statistics and facts in a fast and efficient manner.
Mango Breadfruit Plantain Guava Sweet potato Carrots Spinach Cabbage Pork Fish Chicken
47.1%
of p o illite pulatio n ag rate ed 15 .
+ is
<30%
70-8 0%
of p o sixth pulatio grad n w ill reac e. h
of sc h were ools in P in th damag ort-au-P e e Ja n 12 d or dest rince th q uak royed e.
m water fro recieves 4of0po% s pulation NGO supplie
Water ies Agencntr a olled by
.94 Rati
o edu of girls ca :b nea tion . R oys in r-ev pub lic en sp eflects a lit.
Fun Edu ding catio US: 7% G n DP Hait
i: 1.3
7% G
DP
Governm
co Water is ipalities of munic variety MEP Os. CA and NG urban water to es vid pro services ile SNEP areas, wh CHEP PO al. rur mostly al areas rur trates on concen 00 in s than 2,0 with les , URSEP In 1996 . ion populat reform ated to was cre iti. Ha in licies water po ns of luded pla This inc tion, za ali decentr d ation, an privitaz n. sanitatio
access le with of peop water. Percent drinking to clean
Supplytable water is a
P POCHE
URSEP
ent or
SNEP
CAMEP
to po iti. Access ch of Ha e in mu privledg s than ge, far les On avera en any giv fresh half of obtain ity can commun Surface water. drinking mmonly co st mo t it water is fact tha spite the used, de nated or contami h is often to healt is leads Th . saline in entire problems en area. giv a ions of s populat ter come mped wa Most pu rings. lls or sp from we
0% in 1980 5 of deaths inly
d to ma attribute eases. rne dis waterbo (PAHO)
35% -Prince Port-au ges 43% ary villa Second as 39% Rural are
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nts in ctric pla Hydroele y, ser vice ntr the cou rt-au-Prince. Po mainly
Convey the Message
60%
loss is system of water to theft d attribute
Food / Health
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Pro vid e ch ea p
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ate str b su
Jobs
Cl o
an d ab un
Waste Management
e icin ed dm an
MUSHROOM CULTIVATION
tonics, medicines, minerals, vita affordable mins Provide
g refuse to be recycled d preparin ting an c e l l o C
in to
od fo
Tu r
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Pro ces s fr uit bo die s
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Agriculture
Defining Stakeholders
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ies
e 4
Sterilize
Sterilize
Storage
Hydrate Substrate
Dilution
Clean Air
SPORES
INNOCULATE
C
The â&#x20AC;&#x153;seedsâ&#x20AC;? of mushrooms, very hardy until germination, can last for centuries in hibernation.
The process of combining spores and a nutritious substrate suitable for spore germination and hyphaenation
S c o c b
tion can be used to ents, obtained from se-based trash wood, cotton, aste, sugarcane
nown for many l properties, species. They also t of feeding a non-animal s.
Sterilize
Genetic Study/Selection
Dry/process fruits Storage Collect tissues/spores
Once fruit bodies have matured and are ready to sporulate, the mushrooms are picked and processed. Spores or tissue samples are collected, and the cycle begins again.
MUSHROOM CULTIVATION:
High CO2 Circulating air
Proper Temperatu
CO2 and temperatu Oxygen-rich air is ci triggers the myceliu bodies (mushrooms reproduciton.
Temperature Even distribution Clean Air
Pasteurization Hydrate Substrate Clean Air
COLONIZE Spores germinate and mate, creating hyphae which feed on substrate, breaking down complex molecular bonds and building mycelium networks.
The mycelium is then transferred to more substrate, which is pasteurized (not sterilized) to utilize beneficial microbes.
High CO2 High CO2
Circulating air
Circulating air
Proper Temperature
Proper Temperature
CO2 and temperature are reduced. Oxygen-rich air is circulated, which triggers the mycelium to produce fruit bodies (mushrooms), in anticipation of reproduciton.
Mycelium is allowed to take over new substrate, using CO2 levels to dictate growth type.
Mushroom cultivation is a closed-loop process. After spores are introduced, the cycle can continue ad infinitum. Only new substrate needs to be imported.
The Life Cycle Google it! â&#x20AC;&#x153;mushroom reproductionâ&#x20AC;?
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Low-Tech Examining the process of mushroom cultivation revealed opportunities to ensure that the process could be easily implemented in the context of a developing country. One way to ensure success is to create lowtech solutions to problems. An example of this is sterilization. Usually achieved with energyhogging autoclaves or industrialgrade machinery, sterilization needed to be achieved via a low-tech method. By using a rocket stove and pressure cooker, fuel could be utilized very efficiently to create heat and pressure to sterilize a substrate efficiently enough to allow mycelium to colonize a substrate.
Design Opportunities
Construction and Use Google it! “rocket stove”
Rocket stoves burn wood very effectively, and don’t produce smoke.
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Big to Small Since family-owned farms are getting smaller and smaller in size, a major goal of the system was the ability to scale bigger or larger as needed. The low-tech approach is appropriate for a small-scale operation, as larger endeavors would be expected to have access to industrial resources.
Ideally, this system could be scaled to work in an area as small as a closet or as large as a warehouse.
Scalability Google it! â&#x20AC;&#x153;mushroom farmingâ&#x20AC;?
Closed Loop Mushrooms are great at reproduction. Once a patch is started, it can continue to produce mushrooms for as long as there is something to grow on. This cycle can be utilized to work for the farmer. By collecting spores of the biggest and best samples, a good strain is started. New spores only need to be imported once. After that, spores can be collected from each batch of fruit bodies.
Self-Sustaining Cycle Neat Fact: Mushrooms have evolved so that any cell tissue can regenerate mycelium and more mushrooms!
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Strain Game Choosing the proper mushroom to grow is crucial. A given species will thrive in one climate and die in another. In considering species, I looked at the climate of Haiti, and what is needed by the population. Other issues needed to be addressed, such as what would be able to decompose the available substrates in Haiti. From lots of research, the ideal species was found to be the Oyster mushroom.
What to Grow? Guess What?: Mushrooms are more closely related to humans than they are to plants!
Pleurotus ostreatus
Cap is 5 - 25 cm across
Oyster mushroom (raw, pieces), 1 cup (200g) Calories: 17.5 Protein: 2.0g Carbohydrate: 2.8g Total Fat: 0.23g Fiber: 0.84g *Good source of: Niacin (2.8mg), Riboflavin (0.29mg), and Vitamin D (53 IU) Its protein content is second to legumes, and has all the mineral salts required by the human body, such as calcium, phosphorous and iron, in twice the amounts contained in beef, pork and chicken meat. It has the highest content of Vitamin B1 and B2 . It is 5 to 10 times richer in niacin than any other vegetable. Richer in folic acid which can prevent and cure anemia. Oyster mushroom is suitable for people wishing to reduce their weight or afflicted with diabetes or hypertension.
Oyster mushrooms are some of the most proficient of recylers. They can be genetically trained to digest a number of substrates, however cardboard, hay, paper, sugar cane, coconuts and grains are all easily digested by oyster mushrooms.
Proven to lower cholesterol by natural production of lovastatin. Oyster mushroom is suitable for people wishing to reduce their weight or afflicted with diabetes or hypertension.
Neat Fact: Oyster mushrooms have been used to decompose petroleum from oil spills!
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Ins and Outs It is important to consider the system in the intended context. What will be changed, and how? What will this affect?
Waste
Common waste will be used as substrate. Cardboard, paper, sawdust, and other materials are all suitable substrates for Oyster mushrooms. This reduces strain on landfills, and creates food and organic compost.
Food
Oyster mushrooms are well-known in the gourmet world. They have a distinct and pleasant flavor. Haitians are already accustomed to mushrooms for food, having â&#x20AC;&#x153;riz djon-djonâ&#x20AC;? as a special meal.
Affected Areas
The Oyster mushroom has been shown to lower and maintain healthy cholesterol. It has also been found to be helpful to those suffering with hypertension or diabetes.
Medicine
When the mycelium of the Oyster Mushroom has finished decomposing a substrate, that substrate is now prime nutrients ready for plant intake. As it begins to decay, it will also attract beneficial bacteria and bugs.
Farming
Jobs are created around mushroom cultivation. The job of actual cultivation, the job of collecting and preparing substrate, the job of selling the fruitbodies and compost at market.
Economy
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Reduce Waste Food / Health
sh tra
te tra bs u s cle nt cy a t n d rie ut n s se
Waste Management
Cl o
e rag Sto g, tin es rv Ha
ch ea pa n da bu n
Trash (above) which can be used as food for mycelium (below)
Agriculture
e icin ed dm an
MUSHROOM CULTIVATION
tonics, medicines, minerals, vita affordable mins Provide
g refuse to be recycled d preparin ting an Collec
in to
od fo
Tu r
ng ni
Pro ces s fr uit bo die s
e icin ed m o int
Jobs
Pro vid e
Grow Food
Investment for operation above: USD $1,250.
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Implementation Les Abricots After proving the process on a small scale, this process can be fitted snugly on top of a bigger system in order to begin the reduction of waste and the production of food. Currently, Les Abricots is helping review the process and assessing it for their needs.
Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Next?
Impediments Context Introducing this system to a developing country will take work. I strongly believe it can happen by the end of this year (2010). It only takes about a month to begin to see results and benefits from mushroom cultivation. However, there seems to be a contention with any sort of help that does not involve meeting immediate needs of food, shelter, water, etc. While I do see these as important, I believe that thinking in the long term is equally important, and also most receptive to new ideas. While this is a new idea in the context of Haiti, mushroom cultivation has been proven to work in a variety of other cultures and contexts, with much success.
Challenges
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Final Process On a small & low tech scale
Hydrate the substrate. The fastest way to do this is put desired substrate in a pressure cooker, and cook for about an hour. Moisture depends on substrate. Here, popcorn was used. While this is going on, jars can be prepared. Poke holes in the lid for air exchange.
Step 1 After hydrated substrate has drained to proper consistency, load into jars. Be sure to include a filter medium between the lid and the ring (here, tyvek was used) and pressure cook for sterilization, for about 1 hour.
Step 2 Let jars cool for at least 8 hours. Inoculate with either spores or a live-tissue liquid culture. Set in a dark space at room temperature. Mycelium should begin to appear 3-4 days in. Shake at about 10 days to redistribute mycelium around the jar. Jars should be completely colonized in 20-30 days.
Step 3
Once jars are completely colonized, prepare “bulk substrate” (in this case, straw). This is basically more food for the mycelium to eat, but it doesn’t need to be sterilized. Just pasteurize it by cooking in a pot at 160 degrees F. for an hour. Drain and let cool at least 6 hours.
Step 4 Once the bulk substrate has cooled, the colonized jars can now be opened and mixed with the substrate. A common method is to layer bulk substrate and colonized mycelium in a long plastic bag, which can be hung from rafters. Another method is to simply open the jar lids, and scrape the surface, and skipping the bulk substrate altogether. This produces mushrooms faster, yet with less w.
Step 5 The process of colonization takes place again. This time, when straw is completely colonized, poke small holes (no bigger than 1/8” big) into the plastic bag. Everywhere a hole is poked, mushrooms will grow. Mist with a spray bottle daily, and keep in a cool shaded area. When ready to harvest, twist and pull mushrooms from the bag.
Step 6
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