1.0 Introduction
Plant to save! Mushrooms are plants with various adaptations that help reduce the rate of pollution. People have been polluting the environment through human activities that lead to the accumulation of harmful materials on the environment like plastics. In the same way, humans pollute the environment; they also come up with ways to combat the pollution. This is through implementing ways that will make the environment green. Through the ways humans use to combat pollution, there are technological ways that implement the latest technology to solve pollution. Some of these include having bins with sensors. These sensors help ensure that when the bins are almost full, there is an alert given to the required team, and through that, it is emptied, avoiding an overflow of accumulated waste that could lead to pollution. They say that the environment will be safe and green through the implementation of technology. I say that technology can be used to save the environment, and mushrooms can save the environment. Mushrooms save the environment by removing hazardous anionic dyes, replacing plastics that are non-biodegradable with mushrooms, wastewater treatment, crude oil-polluted soil purifiers, and removal of excess nitrogen.
Thesis Statement: Mushrooms save the environment by removing hazardous anionic dyes, replacing plastics that are non-biodegradable with the use of mushrooms, wastewater treatment, crude oil polluted soil purifier, and removal of excess nitrogen.
Bullet Points:
- Mushrooms save the environment by removing hazardous dyes.
- Dyes affect the soil negatively, which is related to human health problems.
- Replacing plastics with mushrooms for packaging will help in saving the environment.
- Plastics are non-biodegradable, thereby pollutants.
- Mushrooms help in wastewater treatment through adsorption by mushroom compost.
- Crude oil pollutes the soil, which the use can purify mushrooms.
- Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) helps remove nitrogen, which is harmful while in excess.
Opposing Perspective
- All environments do not support mushroom growth.
2.0 Perspective in favor of mushroom farming
Mushroom farming is a way through which soil erosion within areas that have no cover would be prevented. A significant percentage of scholars have highlighted that mushroom helps limit the effects of land degradation. This means that no soil cover is washed away as long as a mushroom is planted. Moreover, this goes without saying that mushroom farming is beneficial to the environment. The wording (Alhujaily, 8) ascertained that mushrooms are planted to ensure that firms are wholly invested in promoting environmental sustainability. In light of this, people are required to watch the mushrooms they eat despite being planted in many places. This reduces the health risk witnessed by people who would eat mushrooms without knowing their species. However, the phrasings in (Czikkely, 8) ascertained that mushrooms could be planted while eliminating the generic factors that would result in their variation. Soil erosion would be described as when the rain washes away the top ground cover. This in itself limits the ability left within the ground to support more life growth. Likewise, mushroom farming has been recognized as one of the most appropriate ways of dealing with soil erosion.
Globally, about ninety-nine percent of business firms utilize the Environmental Management Systems (EMS) to stay afloat in maintaining the environment. Many firms operate full-time, producing harmful physical, chemical, and biological waste products that destroy the environment when they are not treated or managed. As indicated by the phrasings in (Mohd, 1389), EMS is a collective document containing all the set rules and regulations that protect the environment against hazards that make it prone to destruction. Luckily, the environment can be saved by reducing, reusing, and recycling the waste products produced by firms as dictated by the International Standards of Organizations (ISO). New Zealand has about fifty-five percent of farmland; hence, it has numerous food production firms evenly distributed. Hence, there is a great need for them to put up measures that protect the environment. Goodman Fielder, New Zealand, is a good example of one of the largest food production firms utilizing the ISO 14001 to achieve its environmental goals (Niazi et al., 450).
Mushroom farming would help reduce the water wastage and pollution that has been recognized as one of the disadvantages of industrialization. According to the text (Dorr, 29), firms have continued to be established by the day to produce good products for customers. Many people have shifted their interest to conscious consumerism, where they purchase quality goods and those that can maintain the environmental sustainability. Mushroom farming has been marked as beneficial because instead of companies releasing untreated water into their surroundings, they would be required to treat it first. Regarding the subject matter (Alhujaily, 9), the water would be used to farm the mushrooms, which would instead be repackaged and sold to the local communities. This would be beneficial since the companies would earn an extra coin from their act of giving back to society through mushroom farming. The surrounding communities would also be saved from huge health risks that would have otherwise evolved from untreated water. Mushroom farming is beneficial to both infant and existing organizations dedicated to ensuring that the environment is safe.
In contempt of the majority of the internationally recognized firms using EMS to better their employees’ healthcare, they should utilize the data to innovate new ways of processing more nutritious products as better compliance of EMS to enhance social performance. Luckily, the data can be carefully stored on protected websites created by the firms to have a future reference that can protect the future of the generations from coming (Niazi et al., 455). Presumably, about seventy percent of the world’s population is living with lifestyle diseases like Diabetes which preceding generations could have prevented by processing more nutritious and safer food products. Incredibly, a global food production firm such as Goodman Fielder utilizes its internal EMS audits to collect employee healthcare data to develop new innovative methods of processing nutritious and safer food products (Chen et al., 25). Goodman Fielder is currently producing oatmeal baked products for people living with lifestyle diseases such as Diabetes, which portrays better EMS compliance to enhance social performance.
Mushroom farming would be helpful to people who are wholly or partially dependent on different companies since they would be able to earn some income. According to the text (Bracco, 6), individuals would be required to work on mushroom farms when they are too many because they need to be tended to regularly. This would render unemployed people employed because they would be able to loom after the mushrooms. Given this, mushroom farming would greatly assist many people who live on the streets. The individuals would be able to learn new skills that revolve around mushroom farming to the extent of establishing simple enterprises for themselves. The subject matter (Czikkely, 10) ascertains that when common citizens are enabled with new skills, the economy of such a country tends to grow rapidly. This means that people would easily be able to fend for themselves and their loved ones. Mushroom farming would be so important to such people to the extreme that future generations would be taught about its ability to sustain the environment.
Regardless of firms utilizing EMS to promote a healthy relationship between them and the surrounding community, they should establish Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as better compliance of the EMS to improve cultural performance. With relevance to the subject matter (Dorr, 34), through CSR, the organizations can make branded gifts that they can give to their consumers after carrying out their purchases either physically or through online platforms. Moreover, the firms can come up with shopping vouchers that can be handed over to those who purchase large quantities of their products or services (Chen et al., 26). Also, discounted prices of various products or services that were less demanded in the market could increase the popularity of the firms among people who knew less about them. Astonishingly, most firms have adopted CSR as better compliance with EMS to give back to the community and increase their market shares. Goodman Fielder has slightly lowered its prices on the pies they sell in other branches that depend on their main branch in New Zealand to give back to society to exercise better EMS compliances to improve cultural performance.
Mushroom farming would assist in promoting good health among people. This would save the environment from breeding harmful pathogens that can easily affect people. The text (Mohd, 1393) purported that a huge percentage of business entities in the modern era neglect the difference that a few effluents would make in people’s lives when released into the environment without treatment. In this regard, mushroom farming would be able to eliminate that factor since such an investment would not be left to rot. This means that companies will consistently ensure that all the effluents are treated to avoid affecting the mushrooms. Business entities are established to make a profit out of the activities that they indulge in (Alhujaily, 10). This is why mushroom farming would thrive if all companies had decided that they were bracing it up. Moreover, companies, especially food manufacturing ones, would not want to go on losses if they could sell the mushrooms they farm. This is advantageous since firms would earn more profit margins apart from what they acquire from their activities annually.
Global firms would employ EMS to produce safe products for consumers; they can also use it to implement intelligent packaging of products to better compliance with EMS (Emuh, 129). Descriptively, smart or intelligent packaging is a mode of conserving the composition of products from the time they were processed until they reach the ultimate consumer. Biodegradable smart packages help consumers identify any changes that occur in the environment by physically portraying themselves on the packaging material. Additionally, the changes on the packages can be evident through the change in colors which are aligned with their respective environmental hazards or as a way of showing when the products have. The wording in (Niazi et al., 459) highlights that many worldwide organizations have adopted intelligent packaging for better EMS compliance. Their products are covered with smart packages containing biosensors and chemical sensors to improve environmental performance.
Crude oil spillage in the soil cover would be corrected by mushroom farming to reduce its impact on the environment. The phrasings in (Bracco, 7) note that mushroom farming requires a lot of nutrients from the soil, which is sometimes influenced by oil spillages. Companies can sometimes not correct crude oil spillage since it is not something they can collect from the spill. Moreover, it would make it easier to collect the impact of the spillage if it occurred in the water bodies rather than on the pure ground cover. This means that the planting of mushrooms would utilize the excess crude oil in the soil cover. Framing makes it easier for the environment to get rid of unwanted minerals that would have otherwise helped specific plants grow (Ashmarina et al., 1070). Therefore, through mushroom farming, the unwanted components in crude oil would be utilized in growth. Rainfall would not make the environment go through a rough patch since the mushroom would act as ground cover. Mushroom farming totals up as an easy and affordable means of reducing or eliminating the negative impact of crude oil spillage on the environment.
Most organizations use EMS to illustrate their faithfulness to fulfilling all environmental rules and regulations. Still, they can also employ the creation of free, educative programs for better compliance to promote environmental performance. EMS requires all organizations, whether small or large scale, to adhere to all regulatory requirements stated in the document without taking any of them for granted (Chen et al., 28). Firms can create free, educative programs that instill know-how amongst people on the issues that affect the environment and countermeasures on how they can be resolved. Moreover, the educative programs can be carried out through pastoral visits that target all people regardless of their age difference; hence personal touch with prospective consumers can also be established, an added advantage to the firms. More firms, as dictated by the phrasings in (Manikandan et al., 649), have used EMS to create free environmental education platforms to teach people to carry out good environmental practices to improve environmental performance.
Health safety would be promoted via mushroom farming, which would reduce hazardous dyes and nitrogen concentration levels in the environment. According to the subject matter (Emuh, 132), human beings are affected by the least of components within their surrounding that is contrary to what their immune system is used to since birth. This means that high concentrations of unutilized nitrogen and hazardous dyes would be problematic in the lives of so many society members. Business entities are called to begin forums that create awareness about the importance of mushroom farming, hence tapping into more benefits. The reduction of hazardous dyes and nitrogen would benefit everybody because they would not have to spend money as they go for diagnosis and treatment in healthcare facilities. Furthermore, the subject matter (Mohd, 1396) highlights that mushroom farming is just as important as any other type of farming because more benefits are to be reaped. Mushroom farming also takes a short time; hence it can be done more often with the best of interests at heart.
3.0 Perspective in contrary to mushroom farming
Mushroom farming is recognized among a significant percentage of scholars as disadvantageous. This is because it requires a lot of licenses that relevant authorities must provide within the parent or host countries for different firms. Therefore, business entities have to abide by so many guidelines developed to protect the environment. The law enactment of waste management revolves around waste management control in food industries. According to scholars, the categories of waste include liquid, solid, organic, and recyclable waste. Law enactment outlines the specific requirements for treatment and disposal of all waste categories. The phrasings in (Ashmarina et al., 1076) highlighted that the ozone-depleting gases from food industries are the most sensitive substances. Therefore, the food industry requires licenses that give them the aptness to produce sensitive substances, transport controlled substances, and import or export controlled substances.
An environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) license gives food industries the ability to be involved in activities that could cause a deviation in any ecosystem. The subject matter (Angral, 3367) indicated that the deviations could introduce any exotic species and unsustainable use of natural resources. However, any food industry which intends to access genetic resources in any country requires an access permit. The green economy is a new trend that today’s international business market has braced up for (Alhujaily, 11). However, this is only achievable by enacting different laws that fully support the sustainability in waste management of food industries.
Acts with the constitution were developed to control the impact of different operations on the environment. However, mushroom farming has been able to stay afloat over the years. The government has the jurisdiction to oversee and align all issues related to food industries that affect the surrounding. In addition to that, the text (Angral, 3368) affirmed that it is also required to be the state administration’s spearhead in implementing policies that are directly and partially related to the environment. The Council is responsible for fully developing policies and directions intended to support environmental sustainability through mushroom farming. Similarly, the institution also sets state-related goals and objectives, reflecting upon the evaluation of policies and priorities of fastening the protection of our surroundings (Emuh, 8).
4.0 Final thought
Environmental-based firms are developed to aid in decentralizing environmental management and enabling the wholesome involvement of the surrounding societies. Despite the environmental restrictions by many governments, mushroom farming still stands to be beneficial. This means that its advantages outdo the disadvantages.
5.0 Conclusion
Mushroom farming has its stated benefits reaped by all organizations that comply with them regardless of whether they are small or large-scale operators. Organizations that earlier had an aim to better employee healthcare have devised methods of using the data to produce more nutritious products like mushroom-based products for people with lifestyle diseases such as Diabetes to improve social performance. Fortunately, more firms have been using the EMS to promote a healthy relationship between them and society. Still, they have begun to embrace Corporate Social Responsibility, like giving out branded gifts and discounting products to enhance cultural performance. Similarly, organizations use EMS to ensure food safety. Still, they have taken up biodegradable intelligent packages with biosensors and chemical sensors as one of the methods of packaging food products to improve environmental performance. Into the bargain of the compliances of EMS that organizations have owned up, better compliances can be employed to better the environmental, cultural, and social performance.
6.0 Works Cited
Acharya, Krishna Raj, and Bashu Dev Dhungel. “Cost-Benefit Analysis of Mushroom Farming in Nepal.” Asian Journal of Economics, Finance, and Management (2021): 16-25.
Alhujaily, Ahmad, et al. “Adsorptive removal of anionic dyes from aqueous solutions using spent mushroom waste.” Applied Water Science Vol. 10. No.7 (2020): Pp 1-12.
Angral, Mr PK. “Different Automatic Monitoring and Controlling Technique for Mushrooms.” Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education (TURCOMAT) 12.11 (2021): 3363-3369.
Ashmarina, Tatyana I., et al. “Innovation in Mushroom Production.” The Challenge of Sustainability in Agricultural Systems. Springer, Cham, 2021. 1069-1078.
Bracco, Angela Rose. “Biotechnology Revolution: How Mushrooms Will Save the World, One Module at a Time.” National Conference on the Beginning Design Student. Vol. 34. No. 1. 2018. Pp 1-8
Chen, Long, et al. “Research progress on indoor environment of mushroom factory.” International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering 15.1 (2022): 25-32.
Czikkely, Márton, et al. “Waste water treatment with adsorptions by mushroom compost: The circular economic valuation concept for material cycles.” International Journal of Engineering Business Management 10 (2018). P p 1-12
Dorr, E., Koegler, M., Gabrielle, B., & Aubry, C. (2021). Life cycle assessment of a circular, urban mushroom farm. Journal of Cleaner Production, 288, 125668.
Emu, F.N. “Mushroom as a Purifier of Crude Oil Polluted Soil.” International Journal of Science and Nature. Vol 1, No. 2 (2010): Pp 127-132.
Manikandan, K., Rajeev Sharma, and O. P. Ahlawat. “Nitrogen calculator: A decision support tool for compost production of white button mushroom.” IJCS 9.2 (2021): 649-652
Mohd Hanafi, Fatimah Hafifah, et al. “Environmentally sustainable applications of Agro-based spent mushroom substrate (SMS): an overview.” Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management Vol. 20 No. 3 (2018): Pp 1383-1396.
Niazi, Abdul Rehman, and Aneeqa Ghafoor. “Different ways to exploit mushrooms: A review.” All life 14.1 (2021): 450-460.
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