Sixteen years ago, Lise started the South African button mushroom research group at Pretoria University. A pathologist by profession, her research has focussed on the microbial friends and foes of mushrooms. These range from the human pathogen Listeria monocytogenes to cobweb disease and beneficial microbes in compost.

Lise is passionate about food security and food safety. Mushrooms may be where these intersect, offering communities a way to safely grow nutritious, healthy food. However, distance and politics have created many challenges. The South African industry has had to be self-sufficient, developing local casing materials and compost supplies, conducting their own research while battling difficulties in transport and logistics.

In this webinar, Lise will discuss the impact her research team has had on this fledgling industry, her vision for the future of African mushroom production and building international collaborative platforms for knowledge sharing and research.

For more information contact:

Jenny Ekman, jenny.ekman@ahr.com.au