The familiar Oyster can be grown in straw, sawdust, coffee grounds, and any number of agricultural waste products. Because of this versatility, the Oyster species show potential for alleviating hunger in poor regions of the world. Mushrooms are the ultimate health food. Many species of mushrooms show powerful immune-stimulating properties. In Japan, extracts of shiitake are routinely used as part of cancer prevention, and as an adjunct to the usual therapies.
Mushrooms are ecologically important.
Many plants owe their existence to fungi. Plants have co-evolved with fungi for aeons into a type of symbiosis called mycorrhizal. Without some fungi, many plants die. Without the plants, fungi do not thrive. Mushrooms are a sustainable forest product.