How sustainable are mushrooms?

The mighty mushroom is healthy on the plate AND gentle on the planet, according to a study measuring the water, energy and carbon emissions required to grow and harvest fresh mushrooms in the United States.

This study found that production of a pound of mushrooms requires only 1.8 gallons of water and 1.0-kilowatt-hours of energy, and generates only 0.7 pounds of CO2 equivalent emissions.

In addition, the annual average yield of mushrooms is 7.1 pounds per square foot. That means that up to 1 million pounds of mushrooms can be produced on just one acre, every year!