The best conditions to grow mushrooms -- 15 degrees Celsius, 85 percent humidity and darkness -- aren't attractive working conditions for humans. Western European mushroom farmers and especially Swiss farmers have difficulty finding staff and staying profitable, while competing with imports that can sell for as much as 70 percent less than Swiss prices.
The cost of harvesting represents as much as half of the total costs. The jobs are highly intensive, repetitive and unhealthy, with high employee churn as a result.
Agrinium develops an automated system to harvest button mushrooms 24 hours a day – 355 days per year without affecting the quality of the mushrooms picked (no marks, no diseases transmitted).