TheInitiative.
Fungi make up one of life’s kingdoms – as broad a category as “animals” or “plants” – and provide a key to understanding our planet. Besides their foundational ecological importance, the chemical accomplishments of fungi have long shaped human life. When fungi suffer, so do the humans and ecosystems that depend on them. Nonetheless, fungi have received only a small fraction of the attention they deserve and represent a meagre 2% of global conservation priorities. The FFF initiative aims to write this neglected kingdom of life into conservation and agricultural policy frameworks, protect it under international and domestic law, and unlock crucial funding for mycological research, surveys and educational programs. We are unthinkable without fungi, yet seldom do we think about them. It is an ignorance we can’t afford to sustain.
Meet the Team
Our Strategy.
Research
The FFF Initiative investigates the legal, policy, and regulatory landscape globally as well as domestically in targeted countries in order to identify opportunities to advance protections for fungi.
Advocacy
The FFF Initiative engages in different forms of advocacy in order to advance legal and policy protections for fungi. This includes, among other things, organizing to secure countries’ support for the inclusion of language on fungi in various international frameworks. It also includes working to ensure fungi are included in the activities of conservation organizations. Through this advocacy, we ultimately aim to streamline concern for fungi and ensure action is taken to protect them on par with fauna and flora.
The FFF Initiative’s advocacy strategy is structured around four routes essential for securing protections for fungi:
Governance: we engage governments and participate in governance processes to advance the interests of fungi. These governance processes include the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit, the 2021 Countdown Summit, and the UNFCCC COP26 in Glasgow.
Science: we reach out to scientists and scientific bodies in order to draw attention to the need to protect fungi in national and international legal frameworks.
Civil Society: we connect with civil society organizations that may be interested in helping to develop and advance efforts to protect fungi or that will mobilize to support such efforts.
Corporations: we reach out to corporations with an interest in fungi to mobilize them to support efforts to protect fungi under national and international law.
Communications & Public Awareness
The FFF Initiative engages in different forms of advocacy in order to advance legal and policy protections for fungi. This includes, among other things, organizing to secure countries’ support for the inclusion of language on fungi in various international frameworks. It also includes working to ensure fungi are included in the activities of conservation organizations. Through this advocacy, we ultimately aim to streamline concern for fungi and ensure action is taken to protect them on par with fauna and flora. The FFF Initiative’s advocacy strategy is structured around the four routes mentioned above that are essential for securing protections for fungi: Governance, Science, Civil Society, and Corporations.