Groundwork for the Future: How Fungi Are Rebuilding Soils and Rewiring Agriculture’s Impact
- Marc Violo
- May 16
- 4 min read
Article in partnership with FA Bio a U.K. based company improving agricultural productivity and sustainability using disruptive early diagnostic tools and services rooted in nature's wisdom.
For decades, agriculture has operated on a model of extraction: drawing nutrients from the soil, applying synthetic chemicals to boost yields, and pushing the limits of productivity. But the result has been alarming—depleted topsoil, biodiversity loss, and escalating climate impacts.
Soil degradation is one of the greatest threats to global food security. Fungi—resilient, regenerative, and vastly underused—could be agriculture’s most promising ally in restoring soil ecosystems and reducing the environmental toll of modern farming.
At FA Bio, a UK-based microbial discovery company, fungi are being rediscovered not as pathogens or decomposers, but as critical players in the regeneration of soils. Their role in cycling nutrients, supporting plant resilience, and balancing microbial ecosystems is being decoded—and turned into real solutions for farmers.
Fungi and the Microbial Life of Healthy Soils
Soil isn’t just dirt—it’s a living, breathing ecosystem. And fungi are among its most active participants. An estimated 50% of agricultural soils are composed of fungal biomass. Through their mycelial networks, fungi bind soil particles, prevent erosion, and mediate water availability, even in drought conditions. More importantly, fungi interact with plant roots through symbiotic relationships that boost nutrient access, regulate plant stress, and enhance tolerance to salinity and contaminants. “They are nature’s multitaskers,” says Andrea González González, Head of Research at FA Bio.
Poor soil health is often invisible—until it leads to crop failures, increased pathogen pressure, or fertiliser inefficiency. But behind many of these symptoms is an imbalance in the soil’s microbial community. Intensive agriculture often selects for pathogenic microorganisms, while suppressing the beneficial ones fungi are part of.
One key insight that FA Bio is acting on: healthy microbial diversity is one of the strongest natural buffers against disease. Fungi not only compete with pathogens for space and resources, but some strains actively produce antimicrobial compounds or trigger plant immunity. According to the FAO, improving soil health could increase food production by up to 58%—yet this potential remains untapped in most farming systems.
From Biocontrol to Bioprotection: FA Bio’s shift to Systems Thinking
To break this cycle, FA Bio focuses on context-specific biocontrol strategies, recognising that microbes behave differently depending on environmental conditions. “There’s a perception that biological products are unreliable,” says Angela de Manzanos Guinot, FA Bio’s CEO. “But when sourced from the environment they’ll be used in, microbes are naturally adapted and more likely to succeed”.
This approach is about more than replacing chemicals with biology. It’s about reframing the whole input system—using living organisms to prevent disease, optimise nutrient flow, and build ecological resilience.
Curating a Living Library of Microbial Solutions
At the centre of this work is FA Bio’s Microbial Library Collection, maintained by scientists like Young Nam Lee, who curates thousands of fungal isolates from soils across the globe. “What excites me is that these fungi aren’t just samples—they’re living strategies evolved over millennia,” says Dr Lee. Her work ensures these microbes are stored safely, tested regularly, and ready for downstream research into disease resistance, fertiliser reduction, or stress resilience.
Crucially, FA Bio’s lab processes allow them to isolate microbes that traditional techniques miss, including those sensitive to oxygen or that require specific soil chemistries. This opens a new frontier for agricultural R&D—especially as pressure mounts to replace fungicides that are losing efficacy due to pathogen resistance.
Fungi as Soil Regenerators—and Climate Allies
Beyond productivity, fungi’s environmental benefits are gaining attention. A few players like Novobiom in Belgium or Yphen in France iares exploring fungal strains that can detoxify soils polluted by heavy metals or synthetic chemicals, providing a path to restore contaminated farmland. Others stabilise carbon in the soil, contributing to climate mitigation through natural carbon sequestration.
This makes fungi particularly well suited to regenerative agriculture systems, where goals include not only yield but ecosystem repair. With the European Union’s Farm to Fork strategy targeting a 50% reduction in pesticide use and a 20% cut in fertiliser use by 2030, biological solutions like FA Bio’s are no longer optional—they’re necessary.
Building Credibility Through Collaboration
FA Bio knows that to transform farming, science alone isn’t enough. Through partnerships with institutions like IFF Crop Biologicals, CABI, and the University of Nottingham, they are aligning discovery with development, formulation, and farmer application. These collaborations enable faster routes to market, more robust testing, and stronger data on product performance across varied conditions.
And within FA Bio itself, the work is deeply collaborative. Whether in the lab or the field, the team blends genomics, bioinformatics, and soil science to guide every decision—from which fungi to prioritise to how to scale fermentation for real-world use.
Rebuilding Soils, One Microbe at a Time
FA Bio’s work with fungi is not just about developing new products—it’s about rewriting the agricultural playbook. “We’re not just replacing inputs,” Angela says. “We’re redesigning systems to work with biology, not against it”.
As the pressure to farm sustainably grows—and the soil beneath us continues to degrade—the role of fungi is becoming clearer. They are soil architects, nutrient brokers, and microbial diplomats. With companies like FA Bio leading the charge, fungi may well become the foundation of agriculture’s next green revolution.
