Putting Fungi on the Agenda: Catalysing Global Policy and Action for Fungal Conservation
Despite the growing recognition of the critical ecological, economic, and cultural importance of fungi, they are rarely included in national, regional, or global conservation policies. This has hindered their inclusion in conservation discussions, access to funding programs, policy decisions, and conservation action. A comprehensive conservation strategy for fungi has been a missing piece needed to advance the full inclusion of fungi in the global conservation agenda.
Recognising the need to provide a tool for facilitating the incorporation of fungi into national and global conservation policies and actions, the mycological community agreed to develop a strategy for the conservation of fungi during the 12th International Mycological Congress in Maastricht, the Netherlands, in August 2024. Thereafter, experts in the global mycological community came together as the Global Fungal Conservation Network (GFCN) to develop the Global Strategy for Fungal Conservation (GSFC).
The GSFC is closely aligned with the CBD Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and identifies the global biodiversity targets that will not be met unless fungal biodiversity is protected and sustainably used. It also provides the conservation actions and research and infrastructure priorities needed for its implementation. It complements the Fungal Conservation Pledge that was launched at the 2024 UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) by Chile and the UK, in collaboration with the Fungi Foundation, by serving as the operational mechanism that aims to turn political commitment into concrete action. The overall purpose of this Strategy is to catalyse urgent and effective changes in conservation policy and practice, by encouraging the integration of fungi into science-based conservation efforts to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity and ensure that fungi are used sustainably and equitably for the benefit of people.
The draft of the strategy, now out for consultation is available here. Comments on this draft are being accepted until June 22nd using this form.
We extend a special thank you to the 73 members from 45 organisations representing 30 countries of the Global Fungal Conservation Network (GFCN) who contributed their expertise to the development of the Strategy. Without their commitment, extensive knowledge and valuable time, this document would not exist. We encourage people from different sectors, including mycologists, ecologists, conservation biologists, policymakers, social scientists, and local stakeholders who share and support the goal of having a coordinated, science-based framework which integrates fungi into nature conservation, sustainable development, and climate adaptation efforts worldwide to join the network and participate in the delivery of the actions and research and infrastructure priorities. Application for membership in the GFCN with the terms of reference are at (https://bit.ly/4uTGlDG).