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Funga

Josh Parrish (LinkedIn)

Today, I’m joined by Josh Parrish, Chief Growth Officer at Funga.

Josh explains how restoring the forest soil microbiome with native mycorrhizal fungi can meaningfully improve tree survival and boost growth rates in intensively managed Southern pine plantations, without relying on synthetic inputs.

We explore the science and technology behind Funga’s approach, including DNA sequencing, machine learning analysis of fungal communities, nursery inoculation methods, and large-scale field trials across 12 US states. Josh also explains why degraded below-ground biodiversity is one of the most overlooked risks in modern forestry and long-term forest investment.

Josh shares early evidence showing up to 30 percent gains in productivity, outlines Funga’s carbon removal business model, and describes how their 30-year lease structure works for landowners. We end with a discussion about what high-profile carbon removal buyers such as Netflix may signal for the future of regenerative forestry and nature-based climate solutions.

After a harvest, we see about a 75% reduction in below-ground biodiversity in these pine systems" ... “What we’re targeting—and seeing—is approximately a 30% lift in productivity over time from restoring the microbiome.

Chapters

00:00 ] Intro and welcome

[00:19 ] Meet Josh Parrish, Chief Growth Officer at Funga

[00:32 ] Favourite tree: the white oak

[02:01 ] Josh’s background and journey to Funga

[04:16 ] What is the forest soil microbiome?

[04:42 ] Mycorrhizal fungi explained

[07:11 ] Why below-ground biodiversity matters

[08:22 ] Why nobody talks about soil health

[09:48 ] Technology behind Funga’s approach

[11:00 ] What happens to forest soils after harvest

[14:14 ] Risks of a degraded microbiome

[16:19 ] How landowners can assess soil health

[17:25 ] How Funga inoculates seedlings

[18:25 ] The nursery partnership and process

[21:10 ] How prescriptions for inoculation are created

[23:11 ] How to identify inoculated roots

[24:02 ] Control vs. inoculated seedlings

[27:00 ] Early results and productivity gains

[29:45 ] Restoration vs synthetic inputs

[30:19 ] Funga’s business model

[31:56 ] The 30-year carbon lease

[33:02 ] Carbon methodology and enhanced sequestration

[37:02 ] Partnership with Netflix

[40:02 ] Scaling awareness with landowners

[41:32 ] What’s next for Funga

[43:31 ] Advice for new forest investors

[44:36 ] Closing

Production team

Founding Director and Host: Shauna Matkovich - The ForestLink

Producer and Editor: Magdalena Laas - Unscripted Creatives

Sound library

Nature by MaxKoMusic/Soundcloud

Sopwell Woodlands and Scohaboy Bog SAC, Cloughjordan, Co Tipperary, IRELAND by wild_rumpus/Soundcloud

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