After nearly two years of working with and through the COVID-19 pandemic, like others in agriculture, mushroom growers faced increased challenges the last quarter of 2021, including global supply chain shortages, transportation availability constraints and a drastically reduced farm labor market, combined with seasonal threats of crop disease. Because of mushrooms’ diverse inputs used to create their growing medium, the risk that shortages pose to the commodity can be heightened and affect the entire growing process. Despite this, mushroom growers worked diligently to innovate using new inputs or adapting current ones to make sure mushrooms were on shelves for the busy holiday season.
Commitment to sharing information about the inherent sustainable growing practices of mushrooms with retail and foodservice customers in formalized reports gained further priority as consumers continued to probe their food sources for transparency and traceability. This concerted effort across the industry kicks off an exciting time for the mushroom sustainability story the industry has long touted, and which expects to continue to be highlighted.
Moving into 2022, the strength of the industry will continue to be challenged by the continued labor shortage — an issue before the pandemic — and the effects of COVID-19 have exacerbated the issue. Put simply: There just aren’t enough workers available for farms to be working at full capacity.
While the current Farm Workforce Modernization Act is stalled in the U.S. Senate, the American Mushroom Institute is working with its national partners to develop modified standalone legislation with narrower outcomes. We are cautiously optimistic on this approach, as it could mean that Congress could get something into an act that works for all groups.
Rachel Roberts is president of the American Mushroom Institute.
