Using google search patterns to explain the demand for wild edible mushrooms

Abstract

The demand for quality wild fungi has been continually increasing over the past few years. However, problems arise when modelling this demand, owing to the difficulty of finding precise data on their origin or value chain. Nor is there any reliable information on the preferences of consumers; therefore, in this work, we aimed to analyse the influence of internet search engines on the demand for porcini mushrooms, a highly appreciated wild fungus. For this purpose, weekly figures for their prices and the amounts sold over nine years in one of the main central markets in Spain have been recorded for diverse wild (porcini, saffron milk caps, and king oyster mushrooms) and cultivated fungi. In addition, for the same period, searches for wild mushrooms using Google Trends and Google search engines were analysed. The results show that these searches improve the classic demand model, presenting different signs with regard to their influence on the price of the mushroom analysed. An increase in searches over time was also verified, which could be considered as an indicator of an increase in demand. Lastly, no complementarity relationships or substitutions for any other emblematic mushroom in Spain (saffron milk caps), or for any cultivated fungi, were observed.