In praise of the persona economica: listening to plants for a new economic paradigm

Abstract

Imagining, first, and then implementing an effective shift toward a new, green, and sustainable economic paradigm that safeguards the commons is required if humanity wants to survive and prosper. This commentary proposes a mission statement for a new transdisciplinary and long-run research endeavor to redefine homo economicus by letting him wear a new mask (the Latin meaning of persona). It also introduces a provocative definition of “Vegetable Economics,” a new economic paradigm that takes inspiration from plants to design economic institutions.