Sydney Ndolo Ebika, identified as the Republic of the Congo’s first mycologist, was forced to seek mentorship abroad and photocopy entire books on fungi in Germany because no resources or teachers were available in Congo-Brazzaville when he began his studies. This struggle highlights the systemic underinvestment in scientific infrastructure in nations historically subjected to capital extraction, even as a global movement for fungal conservation gains momentum.
The International Congress on Fungal Conservation, held in Cotonou, Benin, last November, brought together mycologists from 27 countries across Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Asia, reflecting a growing global recognition of fungi's ecological importance.
Many attendees from African countries serve as the only, or one of very few, mycologists in their nations, underscoring the severe lack of specialized scientific personnel and institutional support across the continent.
Ndolo Ebika's personal journey, which included emailing mycologists abroad and later establishing the Republic of the Congo’s first fungarium, exemplifies the individual effort required to overcome the structural barriers of uneven development.
Anna Ralaiveloarisoa, Madagascar’s first homegrown mycologist, faces similar challenges, including the lack of proper infrastructure to preserve mushrooms, unreliable roads, and no electricity for travel to remote jungle areas, alongside a complete absence of local collaborators.
Ralaiveloarisoa emphasizes the critical role of fungi, stating they “feed 90% of terrestrial plants” and that “Without them, there is no life on the Earth,” yet less than 1% of Madagascar's estimated 100,000 fungal species have been scientifically described, revealing a vast gap in knowledge driven by resource scarcity.
The Cost of Uneven Development
Nourou Yorou, general director of the Benin Agency for Science and Innovation, noted the field's rapid growth from “almost nothing 20 years ago” into a “dynamic global movement,” yet this growth often relies on individual scientists overcoming systemic neglect.
Historically, fungi lagged behind plants and animals in conservation efforts, with the first organizations dedicated to protecting birds established in the 19th century, while fungal conservation only saw the formation of the International Society for Fungal Conservation (ISFC) 16 years ago, in 2010, and the Fungi Foundation 14 years ago, in 2012. This delay reflects a historical prioritization of more immediately exploitable or visible natural resources.
David Minter, president of the ISFC, described early fungal conservation as “a few disjointed, separate voices of scientists expressing concern,” highlighting the fragmented nature of efforts before more organized, though still under-resourced, movements emerged.
The first conservation legislation to include fungi was passed in Chile 13 years ago, in 2013, with the Fungi Foundation advocating for the phrase “fauna, flora, funga” to push for fungi’s inclusion in conservation frameworks, a reformist approach attempting to integrate fungi into existing state apparatuses.
Other non-profit groups, such as North America’s Fundis 9 years ago, in 2017, and SPUN 5 years ago, in 2021, have formed, indicating a reliance on philanthropic or non-governmental capital to address a systemic ecological crisis that state and corporate actors largely ignore.
Capital's Ecological Footprint
Interest in conserving fungi has been spurred by evidence of their crucial ecological roles, including their reliance by 90% of plants for nutrients and a recent study finding that 36% of annual CO2 emissions from fossil fuels are stored in underground mycelium. This data exposes the direct link between industrial capital's emissions and the critical natural systems it endangers.
Fungi require protection because they are susceptible to the climate crisis, habitat destruction, and pollution—all direct consequences of unchecked industrial expansion and resource extraction.
A 2025 study published in Nature revealed that less than 10% of predicted hotspots of mycorrhizal fungal richness are protected, demonstrating the inadequacy of current conservation policies and the continued prioritization of profit over ecological preservation.
Minter compared fungi to “waste collectors” whose absence would be keenly felt, underscoring the essential, often invisible, ecological labor performed by fungi, which, like human labor, is undervalued until its disruption threatens the system.
Struggle for Scientific Autonomy
African mycologists at the Benin congress affirmed their expertise, commitment, and interest in leading the movement in their own countries and globally, signaling a push for self-determination in scientific research and conservation.
Joyce Jefwa, a Kenyan mycologist, stated that “Africa is still finding its way in fungal conservation” and emphasized the need for African mycologists to “talk with one voice” to policymakers in sectors like forestry and environment, highlighting the struggle to influence state policy against entrenched interests.
Cathy Sharp in Zimbabwe, who researched children's knowledge of fungi, is fighting to reinstate fungi into the junior curriculum after it was removed during Covid, illustrating how state policy can swiftly undermine public education and cultural knowledge vital for conservation.
The Cotonou declaration, released a few months after the congress and cowritten by participants from four continents, aims to address the “persistent under-representation of fungi” in conservation, locally, nationally, and globally, serving as a collective demand for systemic change in conservation priorities.
Yorou called the congress a “milestone” for the global mycological community, pointing to a future “where fungi stand as a recognised pillar of global biodiversity conservation,” yet this future remains contingent on overcoming the structural barriers of capital and its uneven distribution of resources and power.