Diploma in Professional Foraging & Wild Food Supply
Build a responsible professional foraging practice supplying wild mushrooms to restaurants, shops and processors.
Program identification
- 1.1Program name
- Diploma in Professional Foraging & Wild Food Supply
- 1.2Type of qualification
- Diploma
- 1.3Provider / endorsing institution
- Fungaris – International Institute of Mycology, School of Culinary Mycology & Foraging. A Fungaris program of its own, not endorsed by a university.
- 1.4Mode of study
- Online, with live sessions in a small group, recordings and a virtual campus.
- 1.5Duration (hours / ECTS credits)
- 6 months (24 weeks) · 192 hours in total · 8 modules of 24 hours · 24 live sessions of 2 hours. ECTS credits: not applicable (Fungaris own program, not an official university degree).
- 1.6Language
- English
- 1.7Start and end dates / intake
- Next intake: January 11, 2027 to June 25, 2027. Enrollment closes on January 4, 2027. Following intake: April 12, 2027. How intakes work →
Overview
2.1Program description
This diploma helps foragers build a responsible professional practice supplying wild mushrooms to restaurants, shops and processors. It starts with the role and responsibilities of the professional forager and the commercial species available through the year. Students then learn to plan sustainable harvests, secure permits and land access, and meet their legal duties. Practical modules cover handling, cleaning and cold chain, grading, packing and traceability, and working effectively with chefs and buyers, before a final module on running a foraging business.
Chefs and retailers want reliable, traceable wild ingredients, and professional foragers who can deliver them safely and sustainably are in demand. The diploma suits commercial foragers, wild food suppliers and experienced pickers moving into business. It is taught live by professional foragers, chefs and supply chain specialists. In the final project, each student develops a business and operations plan for a foraging enterprise, including species calendar, sustainability measures, compliance, handling procedures and a customer offer.
2.2Why it matters / what need it meets
It meets a practical need: applied, up-to-date knowledge in culinary mycology, useful in areas such as wild food supply, restaurants, specialty retail, food processing.
Mycology is moving fast and good practical training is still scarce. This program gives you a structured path, taught live by people who work in the field, so you can apply what you learn with judgment and safety.
Objectives and competences
3.1General objective
To finish the program able to apply its content professionally and with judgment. In short:
Build a responsible professional foraging practice supplying wild mushrooms to restaurants, shops and processors.
3.2Specific objectives
- Build the foundations: The Professional Forager's Role; Commercial Species Through the Year; Sustainable Harvest Planning.
- Put them into practice: Permits, Land Access and Legal Duties; Handling, Cleaning and Cold Chain; Grading, Packing and Traceability.
- Apply everything to a real case: Working with Chefs and Buyers; Running a Foraging Business.
- Complete a final project reviewed by your instructor.
3.3Competences you will gain
- Plan a year-round supply calendar of commercial wild species.
- Harvest sustainably with site rotation and impact monitoring.
- Meet permit, land access and supplier legal requirements.
- Handle, grade and pack wild mushrooms with full traceability.
- Run a foraging business with reliable chef and buyer relationships.
Student profile
4.1Who it is for (entry profile)
Commercial foragers and wild food suppliers.
4.2Entry requirements
Good mushroom identification skills and some foraging experience are recommended.
4.3Career paths (exit profile)
- Professional forager supplying restaurants
- Founder of a wild food supply business
- Wild produce buyer for a wholesaler
- Forager for a food processor
- Sourcing partner for a restaurant group
Outcomes depend on your experience and on your local market.
Study plan
5.1Overall structure (modules and workload)
| Module | Title | Phase | Topics | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | The Professional Forager's Role | Foundations | 3 | 24 |
| 02 | Commercial Species Through the Year | Foundations | 3 | 24 |
| 03 | Sustainable Harvest Planning | Foundations | 3 | 24 |
| 04 | Permits, Land Access and Legal Duties | Practice | 3 | 24 |
| 05 | Handling, Cleaning and Cold Chain | Practice | 3 | 24 |
| 06 | Grading, Packing and Traceability | Practice | 3 | 24 |
| 07 | Working with Chefs and Buyers | Application & project | 3 | 24 |
| 08 | Running a Foraging Business | Application & project | 3 | 24 |
| Total | 192 |
8 modules × 24 hours = 192 hours: 48 hours of live sessions, and the rest for campus study, exercises and the final project.
5.2Content by module
Hover or tap a module to follow the path from the first session to the final project. Open a module to see the topics it covers.
- Responsibilities to customers and land
- Skills and standards
- Ethics of commercial foraging
- Spring and summer species
- Fall and winter species
- Planning a year-round calendar
- Assessing site capacity
- Rotation and resting sites
- Monitoring harvest impacts
- Permits and licenses
- Landowner agreements
- Legal duties as a supplier
- Field handling and cleaning
- Cooling and transport
- Storage and shelf life
- Quality grades for buyers
- Packaging formats
- Batch records and traceability
- Understanding chefs' needs
- Communicating availability
- Pricing and reliable delivery
- Business set-up and insurance
- Finances and pricing
- Growing a client base
5.3Company placement
This program does not include a company placement. Practice is built into every module through exercises, case studies and the final project.
5.4Final project
A business and operations plan for a foraging enterprise, with species calendar, sustainability, compliance, handling and customer offer.
Methodology
6.1How it is taught
- Live online sessions, usually weekly, with a working professional and a small group.
- Recordings of every session, so you can catch up if work or time zones get in the way.
- Exercises and real case studies in every module.
- Tutoring: your instructor answers questions and gives feedback on your exercises and project.
6.2Platform and resources
A Moodle virtual campus with session recordings, readings, exercises and forums for each module. You need a computer, an up-to-date browser and a stable connection; a webcam and microphone are recommended.
Technical requirements →6.3Estimated weekly workload
About 8 hours a week for 24 weeks: one 2-hour live session on a weekday evening, plus study and exercises on the campus at your own pace.
Assessment
7.1Assessment system and weighting
Progress is assessed through participation in live sessions, planning exercises in each module and a final project reviewed by the instructor.
7.2Requirements to pass
- Complete every module, by attending the live sessions or watching the recordings.
- Hand in the module exercises.
- Have your final project approved by your instructor.
Teaching team
8.1Academic direction
At Fungaris, the Culinary Mycology school coordinates the content and quality of this program. The academic director of each intake is named in the intake guide.
8.2Faculty
Taught by professionals who work in the field. The instructor for each intake is confirmed before the start.
Meet our faculty →Certificate
9.1Certificate awarded
Diploma Certificate
On completing the program and its project, Fungaris issues a Diploma Certificate. Fungaris certificates are the institute's own. Whether an employer, school or authority recognizes them depends on that organization and on local rules in each country.
9.2Issuing body / recognition
Issued by Fungaris (operated by Nexora Generation, S.L.) as a digital certificate. It is a Fungaris certificate of its own: it is not an official university degree and does not award ECTS credits.
About our certificates →Admission and enrollment
10.1Admission process (steps)
- Send your request through the form or write to admissions.
- Admissions reviews your profile and confirms the start date, the session schedule and the fee.
- You secure your place with full payment or a 40% reservation.
- You receive your campus access and welcome guide before the first session.
10.2Documents required
- A valid identity document.
- Contact and billing details (personal or company).
- A short résumé or a description of your experience in the field.
10.3Deadlines
Enrollment for the intake starting on January 11, 2027 is open until January 4, 2027, or until the group is full (maximum 20 students).
10.4Fee and payment options
Fee: $1,490
- Full payment before the start: $1,192 (20% reduction).
- 40% reservation ($596) and 6 monthly installments of $149.
10.5Grants, discounts and funding
Discounts: 10% for Fungaris alumni and 15% for groups of three or more people from the same organization. Discounts cannot be combined with each other or with the full-payment reduction.
Your employer can pay for the program and receive the invoice in the company name. Whether a public or employer training budget can cover the fee depends on your country, so check with them.
10.6Cancellation policy
The conditions for canceling, withdrawing or moving to a later intake are explained in our cancellation policy and in your enrollment confirmation. Nothing there limits your rights under the consumer law that applies to you.
Cancellation and refunds →Additional information
11.1Frequently asked questions
Do I need experience to study Diploma in Professional Foraging & Wild Food Supply?
Good mushroom identification skills and some foraging experience are recommended.
How is Diploma in Professional Foraging & Wild Food Supply taught?
Live online, in 8 modules with a working professional, a small group and a final project.
How am I assessed?
Progress is assessed through participation in live sessions, planning exercises in each module and a final project reviewed by the instructor.
What is the final project?
A business and operations plan for a foraging enterprise, with species calendar, sustainability, compliance, handling and customer offer.
What certificate do I get?
On completing the program and its project, Fungaris issues a Diploma Certificate. Fungaris certificates are the institute's own. Whether an employer, school or authority recognizes them depends on that organization and on local rules in each country.
What can I study after Diploma in Professional Foraging & Wild Food Supply?
The natural next step is Master in Culinary Mycology & Mushroom Gastronomy.
11.2Alumni testimonials
We only publish verified testimonials from real students. This program does not have any published yet; they will appear here once its first intakes finish.
11.3Admissions contact
Write to info@fungaris.institute or use the contact form. Admissions answers in your language.
Read before you start.
Keep branching.
Join the next intake.
Pay in full with a 20% reduction, or reserve your place with 40% and pay the rest in monthly installments. All prices are stated in US dollars (USD).