Wild mushroom potential in Ethiopia: An analysis based on supplier and consumer preferences

Aim of study: To elicit the preferences of the mushroom producers in rural areas and of the urban consumers in supermarkets. This allowed us to obtain key information to develop sustainable management and conservation plans in participation with local communities and to contribute assessing the potential economic value of wild mushroom resources. Area of study: Rural areas in the Amhara and Sidama regional states of Ethiopia, and in the capital, Addis Ababa. Material and methods: A choice experiment following a D-0 design was performed to determine the preferences of the two main stakeholders: mushroom producers in rural areas and urban consumers in Addis Ababa supermarkets. Data were analyzed using a random parameters model. Willingness to pay (demand side) and willingness to accept (supply side) were calculated for different attributes. Main results: The farmers are willing to be involved as a key participant in sustainable programs if they are compensated for their work in cash by long contracts; they prefer that the collection site is not very far their homes and to collect mushrooms in groups. If more time is spent walking from their homes to the forest, the compensation should increase. Urban consumers want to buy and pay for Ethiopian wild mushrooms and are interested in the sustainable production of mushrooms. Research highlights: The farmers and consumers surveyed in this study recognized the potential of valuing mushroom resources as a potential way of conserving the forests where the mushrooms grow.