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Wild edible fungi a global overview of their use and importance to people

Year of publication 2004

Author Plant Production and Protection Division;Forest management Division

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Series title Non-Wood Forest Products

Series number 1020-3370

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Wild edible fungi are collected for food and to earn money in more than 80 countries. There is a huge diversity of different types, from truffles to milk-caps, chanterelles to termite mushrooms, with more than 1 100 species recorded during the preparation of this book. A small group of species are of economic importance in terms of exports, but the wider significance of wild edible fungi lies with their extensive subsistence uses in developing countries. They provide a notable contribution to di et in central and southern Africa during the months of the year when the supply of food is often perilously low. Elsewhere they are a valued and valuable addition to diets of rural people.

Language English

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