- The editorial board of Cambio16 magazine unanimously decided to honour Dr Catalina Fernández de Ana Portela for her constant commitment to 'health, quality and respect for nature'.
- The Cambio16 2023 Awards ceremony took place at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz in Madrid.
The editorial board of Cambio16 has honoured Dr Catalina Fernández de Ana Portela, founder and President of Hifas da Terra, in the 'Madre Tierra' (Mother Earth) category of its 'You Are My Hope' awards, presented at a gala on 22 November at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz in Madrid.
The jury highlighted 'a pioneering biotechnology project born in Galicia', noting that 'commitment to quality and respect for nature are the basis of its business philosophy – values reflected both in the products it develops and in its daily research'.
A life among mushrooms
Dr Fernández de Ana Portela, a biologist and mycologist with a doctorate from the University of Santiago de Compostela, founded Hifas da Terra in 1999 and leads it together with a broad international team. Mushrooms were part of her everyday life from childhood – her father, Francisco Fernández de Ana Magán, is a renowned mycologist – and she soon understood that research was the way to explore what these fascinating organisms can offer.
'Fungi have been here since the dinosaurs and have been able to adapt. That ability to adapt is exactly what they offer us. It is an immense world still to discover,' she says.
Science, organic cultivation and sustainability
Hifas da Terra works with scientific advisers from universities including Santiago de Compostela, Leuven (Belgium), Lucian Blaga (Romania) and Colorado State (USA). The company focuses on organic mushroom cultivation for food supplements and natural cosmetics, and maintains one of Europe's largest collections of fungal strains in Pontevedra.