A lifecycle assessment of the Australian mushroom industry

Australian mushroom growers know they run efficient, high-yield businesses. But when it comes to carbon emissions and environmental impact, many growers have been left asking the question: How do I know how my farm stacks up?

Until recently, there was no reliable, industry-wide benchmark for the environmental footprint of Australian mushroom production. That made it hard for growers to understand where emissions come from, what really matters, and where to focus effort and investment.

Recognising this gap led to a new initiative to carry out a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the Australian mushroom industry.

This project set out to answer a simple but important question: What is the carbon footprint of a mushroom grown in Australia, and how can growers use this information to make practical improvements on farm?