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Mycorrhizal Economics

/ˌmaɪ.kəˈraɪ.zəl iː.kəˈnɒm.ɪks/ Symbiotic Exchange Theory
Definition An economic model based on symbiotic exchange and mutual valorization, contrasting with extractive 'platform' economics. It draws on the biological precedent of the mycorrhiza (fungus-root connection), where diverse species trade different currencies (carbon for nutrients) to the immense benefit of both.

The Wood-Wide Ledger

The Wood-Wide Web is not a charity; it is a marketplace. Trees produce access sugar (carbon) through photosynthesis but lack sufficient access to soil minerals. Fungi are master miners of phosphorus and nitrogen but cannot photosynthesize. They trade.

Crucially, this trade is balanced. Research shows that finescale trading markets exist at the root tips, where fungi will deliver more nutrients to trees that provide more sugar. It is a decentralized, fair-trade economy that has sustained forests for millions of years.

Mutual Valorization

In the Myceloom framework, we seek Mutual Valorization. Current digital economics are often parasitic: platforms extract user data (attention, content) and sell it to third parties, returning only "access" to the user. A Mycorrhizal Economy ensures that value generated by the user returns to the user—whether as equity, improved service, or governance rights.

Collaborative Enhancement

This leads to Collaborative Enhancement. In a forest, a mother tree might support a related sapling, or even a different species, because a diverse, healthy forest protects all trees from wind and pestilence. Similarly, in a Mycorrhizal Economy, helping a competitor or a neighbor survive strengthens the overall network (the Myceloom) against external shocks.