Edible Fungi for the General Public: Identification Courses in Brazil and Colombia

Abstract

Mushrooms are little known by the general city public, both in Brazil and Colombia, and require detail and mycological notions to identify them, hence the difficulty of using them, either for research or as food. They are very common even in planted pine and eucalyptus forests, where they could be explored, as they represent a complete food. As a way to make mushrooms more popular and guide those interested in knowing these mushrooms in depth and, in fact, using them as food and for other purposes, an extension course program was created aimed at the lay public, associating theory and practice. The course has been offered in 30 editions in Brazil since 1992 and the widely tested delivery methodology proved to be suitable for work throughout Latin America, after the implementation of the course in a Spanish-speaking country (Colombia). The entire organization of the course, as well as its execution, is discussed in this work. The work resulted in an interesting tool to associate the general population with this group of organisms and change behavior, since the species became interesting due to their culinary use (food qualities) and their ecological importance. Scientific dissemination, through short courses, is presented as an important tool to attract the general public to science, its achievements and uses, and especially to an ignored group whose use makes food healthier and more ecologically sustainable.