Agriculture accounts for 70% of global freshwater withdrawals. Thus, achieving water resilience requires more sustainable agriculture and the promotion of less water-consuming products. White button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) suit greatly these requirements: producing one kilogram of this food product needs only 14.2 L of water and can use agricultural residues. Moreover, this amount of A. bisporus provides a third of the daily needs of vitamin D, around a sixth of selenium and phosphorus, and 5% of folate. Promoting white button mushroom production and consumption would contribute to meeting food demand while enhancing water resilience and preserving the environment.

Horizon 2020 project BIOSCHAMP set out in 2020 to find alternative growing materials that make A. bisporus production more sustainable. This online Info Day will disseminate the potential of A. bisporus to achieve water resilience thanks to its low water consumption and role in sustainable agriculture (use of agricultural residues, partial substitution of more water-demanding food products). Although open to the public, the main target audience is scientists and researchers.

The Info Day will start by painting the picture with two EU-funded projects:

• BIOSCHAMP will present their goal and how its results move towards a more sustainable food market in Europe.
• ULTIMATE will show how their objectives support water resilience and provide insight into their success cases.

Then, a panel of experts will discuss food production and water resilience, and answer questions from the audience. The Info Day has the pleasure to count with:

• Emilio Rascón – Mushroom Technological Research Center of La Rioja
• Pietro Goglio – Università degli Studi di Perugia
• Jan van der Wolf – Wageningen Research
• Jeoffrey van der Berg – NewFoss
• Patrick Kelly – DG AGRI
• Andrea Rubini – Water Europe

Register for this event and you will receive an exclusive infographic!