1.1 Definition and scope of the study

There are countless varieties of mushrooms but the most cultivated in France and in the world are limited to four:

The button mushroom is in first place: it is the most cultivated variety in the world by far. China accounts for more than 50% of world production;
Shiitake from Asia is the second most produced variety in the world;
Oyster mushroom is in third place in this ranking;
The blue foot closes this ranking of the most cultivated varieties.

(A specific study on the truffle market is available here )

In addition to these four main varieties, there are a large number of other more confidential varieties, most of which grow in the wild.

France produces nearly 85,000 tons of button mushrooms, a quantity that is decreasing despite an increasing demand, which makes it the fifth-largest producer in Europe. French production is concentrated in a few regions: Pays de la Loire, Centre, Picardie ..

In fact, 97% of French mushroom production involves button mushrooms. Mushrooms grown in the mushroom farms are available all year round unlike wild mushrooms. These mushroom beds contain substrates formed from manure which go through several stages before producing mushrooms which are harvested. When they are to be sold fresh, in the main market in Europe, the mushrooms are hand-picked, sorted according to their characteristics, refrigerated, and packaged to be sent to the distribution sites.

Mushrooms, if not sold fresh, are said to be processed. They are therefore delivered at the end of the harvest to factories that will process them for appetizer (can them), freeze them or freeze-dry them.

The harvest of woodland mushrooms is estimated at a few thousand tonnes and is not sufficient to meet French demand since, in addition to industrially cultivated mushrooms, French consumers are fond of "wild" varieties. Imports from Eastern European countries and China are therefore essential to meet the demand.

1.2 A stable global market dominated by China

The many health benefits of mushrooms are driving a growing worldwide demand. Particularly in Asia Pacific, the region that dominates the market with an extremely high demand for mushrooms from Japan, China and even India.

North America and Europe have significant markets for the sale of exotic mushrooms, both in terms ...

1.3 The European market, two destinations for the cultivated mushroom

In Europe, the production volumes of the mushroom generated a global turnover of *.* billion euros in ****. [***]

The European mushroom market is divided into two distinct purposes. A distinction is made between sales fresh mushroom and the transformed mushroom (***). The desired shelf life, the clientele and the transport time thus seal the ...

1.4 The French market is dominated by button mushrooms

In France, the market is largely dominated by the button mushroom (***), which accounts for **% of production. [***] Thus, the share of other mushrooms in French production can be considered negligible in terms of the national market.

According to the[***] According to the Association Nationale Interprofessionnelle du Champignon de couche (***), the annual turnover ...

1.5 Domestic consumption exceeds production

In France, the demand for mushrooms is increasing, and in particular the demand for fresh mushrooms. If according to [***] Although **% of French production is already destined for the fresh market (***), this production is far from being sufficient to meet national demand. Thus, as shown by the balance of trade in mushrooms ...

2.1 A global trend towards local consumption and fresh produce

The French are very attentive to the impact of their food on their health, and to its social and environmental dimensions. This awareness often goes hand in hand with a desire to change towards a more responsible diet. This trend has been going on for several years now.

French consumption trends France, ...

2.2 French mushrooms: a consumer requirement

Mushrooms are one of the most popular vegetables in France among consumers. It is well known that mushrooms are good for your health, as evidenced by the plethora of online articles that sing their praises.

The mushroom climbs to *th place in the ranking of the French people's favorite vegetables.

Ranking ...

2.3 A general demand for fresh mushrooms on the rise

According to Ipsos more than * out of * French people regularly prefer to buy fresh products, and this is reflected in the demand for mushrooms, which is therefore also increasingly turning to fresh mushrooms.

Share of fresh and processed mushroom production value France, ****-****, thousands of tonnes Source: ****

This demand is best ...

2.4 The trend of Asian medicinal mushrooms

Unknown in the European and French markets until a few years ago, despite being the second most consumed mushroom in the world (***), Shiitake is gradually making its appearance in food supplements and in several products. This trend is confirmed by the fact that more and more French people are interested in ...

2.5 Close-up of the morel sub-segment

The morel, a member of the Morchellaceae family, is an edible spring mushroom. Its nutty taste and fine, distinctive woody aromas make it a prestigious, rare and delicate mushroom. Morels are a complex group that includes many varieties, sometimes difficult to recognize. However, two groups can be easily distinguished in France: ...

3.1 A small number of producers in France

In France, the market is organised around producers (***), industrialists offering conservation solutions, distributors, restaurants and finally end customers. Other actors evolve on the periphery of the market such as composting centres or suppliers of horse manure, which is essential for cultivation. The producers themselves are different from the classic wild harvest ...

3.2 A wide range of producers: from industrial companies to seasonal or amateur growers

The diversity of the market players is considerable. This can be seen by observing the protagonists who share the cultivated mushroom sector. Thus, according to [***] we find :

Large industrial enterprises (***); More extensive producers, sometimes seasonal, who combine this activity with other sources of income (***); Hobbyists, who buy their plants in garden ...

3.3 A variety of production methods

The diversity is also reflected in the production methods. It goes without saying that each mushroom species has its own method.

The mushroom has * different cultivation methods according to the technical evolution (***). Nowadays, the cultivation in trays is the most widespread but all of them follow the following steps, and * months ...

3.4 The Mushroom Processing Plants of Paris, a discreet but important B2B player in the sector

It is difficult to know what market share these factories have in France, but it is certain that they are indispensable in the processing and storage of mushrooms.

These factories are the link between producers and distributors. They obtain fresh mushrooms from various producers and diversify the methods and forms of ...

4.1 The main species of mushrooms

There are hundreds of thousands of species of mushrooms around the world, however as mentioned many times in this study, very few of them are currently cultivable.

The site [***] proposes a typology of the main cultivable mushrooms.

Mushroom: A smooth skin of uniform color, white or blond, with invisible lamellae and ...

4.2 The different methods of conservation

Source: ****

4.3 Cultivated mushrooms: Fresh prices rise while processed mushrooms fall

In accordance with the increase in demand for fresh French mushrooms, and although the share of fresh produce has increased, it is insufficient to meet the demand. As a result, the supply of fresh mushrooms has increased in price in recent years, as shown in the graph below.

Evolution of the ...

4.4 A new wind with some innovative start-ups that are boosting the sector

New players are like UFOs among the traditional players in the sector. Surfing on the already widespread fashions in the United States, Canada and England of medicinal mushrooms and home growing, they are reinventing the sector with solutions adapted to the real demand for local and healthy consumption.

Thus we see ...

5.1 Marketing standards and regulations :

As a vegetable often processed or frozen, the mushroom in its forms must respect a certain number of standards.

The international food standards for fruits and vegetables are listed in this book: [***] .

The European Union standards for diaper fungi are available in this document [***]

UN and UNECE standards: [***]

In a ...

5.2 Harvesting regulations

Mushroom picking is highly regulated, and in France it is forbidden to sell mushrooms that have been picked on a plot of land that you do not own. Collecting on private land is therefore punishable by a fine of up to ***€ (***)

The site [***] lists the different laws in force concerning the ...

5.3 Product identification codes

The main codes associated with mushrooms are listed below.

****** Vegetables; mushrooms fresh or chilled ; ****** Vegetables; mushrooms of the genus Agaricus whole cut sliced broken or in powder but not further prepared dried ; ****** Vegetables; mushrooms of the genus Agaricus provisonally preserved but unsuitable in that state for immediate consumption ; ****** vegetables; mushrooms ...