Shroom with a view: Kenyan firm opens door to sustainable living with fungi

Mushroom farm in Kenya produces fungi, providing company with mycelium

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A contractor takes measurements inside a house under construction

(AP)

A large mushroom farm near the Kenyan capital of Nairobi is one of a kind: It grows fungi on an industrial scale — not as food for restaurants but asa building material that some Kenyans say could make more people homeowners.

The farm produces mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms that a local company then uses to make building materials it says are more sustainable than regular brick and mortar.

The company, MycoTile, combines the roots with natural fibres and agents to make panels that can be used for everything from roof and wall insulation to interior decor, at a fraction of the cost of building with standard clay bricks. It currently produces about 3,000 sq metres of such materials every month.