African mycologists are emerging as central figures in a rapidly expanding global movement to protect fungi, a kingdom of life that remains critically understudied and underrepresented in conservation frameworks worldwide.
The International Congress on Fungal Conservation, held in Cotonou, Benin, less than one year ago, drew mycologists from 27 countries across Africa, Europe, the Americas and Asia, signaling unprecedented momentum in a field that struggled for decades to gain recognition alongside plants and animals. The gathering highlighted both the growing expertise of African scientists and the profound resource gaps that continue to constrain their work.
The Knowledge Gap in African Science
For many African mycologists, the path to their field has required extraordinary personal sacrifice. Sydney Ndolo Ebika, the Republic of the Congo's first mycologist, had no local mentors when he decided to pursue mycology. He began emailing mycologists abroad asking if he could join their laboratories. When he later studied on a graduate programme in Germany, around the same time the International Society for Fungal Conservation (ISFC) was formed 16 years ago, he sometimes photocopied entire books on fungi because he knew no one in the Congo had access to those resources.
Ndolo Ebika has now established the Republic of the Congo's first fungarium, where type specimens are preserved to allow mycologists to establish the existence of new species and keep them for future study. Yet his experience reflects a broader pattern: many African nations have only one mycologist or very few scientists working in the field.
Madagascar's first homegrown mycologist, Anna Ralaiveloarisoa, faces similar structural barriers. She describes fungi as "some of the most important things in the world" because "They feed 90% of terrestrial plants. Without them, there is no life on the Earth." Yet less than 1% of the estimated 100,000 species of fungi in Madagascar have been scientifically described. Ralaiveloarisoa is working on classifying each of the 200 new species she has identified so far, while navigating challenges including trying to preserve mushrooms without proper infrastructure, traveling to remote jungle areas without reliable roads or electricity, and having no other experts to collaborate with in Madagascar.
A Movement Built from Institutional Neglect
Fungi lagged behind plants and animals in conservation for much of modern history. The first organizations dedicated to protecting birds were established in the 19th century, while fungi had to wait until the 21st century. The International Society for Fungal Conservation was established 16 years ago by mycologists from more than 40 countries. The first conservation nonprofit organization, the Fungi Foundation, was created 14 years ago.
David Minter, president of the ISFC, described the field's early years: "Fungal conservation up to the early 2000s was really just a few disjointed, separate voices of scientists expressing concern about the results they were observing."
The first conservation legislation to include fungi was passed in Chile 13 years ago. The Fungi Foundation helped secure that law and began championing the phrase "fauna, flora, funga" to encourage fungi's inclusion in more conservation frameworks. Other organizations followed: North America's first fungal conservation nonprofit group, Fundis, was created 9 years ago, and the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN) was cofounded 5 years ago by evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers, who later won the Tyler prize for environmental achievement and a MacArthur "genius grant" for her work in fungal research and conservation.
Why Fungi Matter to Global Ecosystems
Interest in conserving fungi has been spurred by evidence that they play a larger role in ecosystems than previously understood. Ninety percent of plants on Earth rely on fungi to supply crucial nutrients. A recent study found that as much as 36% of annual CO2 emissions from fossil fuels are stored in the underground mycelium of mycorrhizal fungi.
Minter compared fungi to waste collectors performing basic but crucial services that allow the rest of society to function: "But if [waste collectors] go on strike, we sure know that they're needed. It's exactly the same with fungi."
Yet fungi need protection because they perform crucial functions in all ecosystems and are susceptible to the climate crisis, habitat destruction and pollution. A 2025 study published in Nature found that less than 10% of predicted hotspots of mycorrhizal fungal richness are protected.
African Leadership and Knowledge Integration
At the Benin congress, African mycologists demonstrated their expertise and commitment to the movement. Sydney Ndolo Ebika offered insights about Termitomyces, a genus of fungi that is "farmed" by termites. Some species are prized as edible fungi throughout much of Africa and can grow to be as large as an umbrella.
Cathy Sharp has taken a different approach in Zimbabwe, researching children's knowledge of fungi by going to schools and asking pupils to draw the first thing that came to mind when they heard "mushroom" in their local languages. Most of the pictures were detailed enough for her to identify them by genus, and some could be narrowed down to species. Sharp is implementing educational initiatives in museums and schools to preserve this knowledge. She noted that Zimbabwe once had fungi in its junior curriculum—"which we were so proud of"—but the policy was changed during Covid. "When I'm finished with what I'm doing now, I'm going to fight to have it put back in," she said.
Joyce Jefwa, a Kenyan mycologist who researches botany, mycology and soil fertility, expressed optimism about opportunities to meet other mycologists across the continent and beyond to share resources and learn from what has worked in other countries. "We have to talk with one voice as African mycologists, so that the policymakers and those who are in different sectors, such as forestry, conservation and environment, can get to know the importance of fungi," Jefwa said.
International Recognition and Future Momentum
Nourou Yorou, a mycologist recently named general director of the Benin Agency for Science and Innovation, told congress delegates: "What an exciting time: from almost nothing 20 years ago, fungal conservation has evolved from a little-known field into a dynamic global movement. The challenge is now to plan a future where fungi are firmly placed in the conservation mainstream."
A few months after the congress, participants released the Cotonou declaration, intended to address "the persistent under-representation of fungi" in conservation locally, nationally and globally. The declaration was cowritten by participants from four continents and codifies global priorities for mycology conservation. Its name is a reminder that Africa must continue to play a key role in the growing fungi conservation movement.
A "fungal conservation pledge" first proposed at the UN biodiversity meeting of Cop16 in Colombia 2 years ago will be discussed again later this year at the biodiversity Cop in Armenia.
Yorou called the congress "a milestone for the global mycological community and … fungal conservation, both in Africa and across the world," and said it points the way to a future "where fungi stand as a recognised pillar of global biodiversity conservation."
Why This Matters:
The emergence of African mycologists as leaders in fungal conservation reflects a broader pattern: scientific expertise and ecological knowledge exist in the Global South, yet structural inequalities in research funding, institutional infrastructure, and educational access systematically disadvantage scientists in developing nations. The fact that Madagascar's first homegrown mycologist works without local collaborators, that Congo's first mycologist had to photocopy textbooks from abroad, and that Zimbabwe removed fungi from its curriculum during a crisis demonstrates how conservation progress depends not only on individual commitment but on equitable access to resources and institutional support. The protection of fungi—which store vast amounts of carbon, sustain 90% of terrestrial plant life, and support food systems across Africa—cannot be achieved without centering the voices, knowledge, and leadership of African scientists and communities. The Cotonou congress and subsequent declaration represent a step toward recognizing fungi's ecological centrality, but only if accompanied by genuine investment in African research infrastructure and the integration of local ecological knowledge into global conservation policy.