Biomimicry, the practice of designing systems inspired by biological processes, has led to innovative technological advancements. However, the field of social biomimicry, which seeks to apply natural principles to social and economic systems, lacks critical assessment and rigor. To reach its transformative potential, social biomimicry must evolve through empirical experimentation and analysis. Nature is often romanticized as a source of ethical guidance, but morality is a human construct. Instead, social biomimicry should focus on understanding the material benefits of natural processes and adapting them to human systems.
To do this, researchers must consider factors like scale, sector, geography, and culture when translating natural processes into human contexts. For example, gift economies may work well for local food systems, but not for healthcare. By analyzing natural systems and their potential human analogues systematically, social biomimicry can design new economic and political models that adapt over time. Examples like the Kalundborg Ecopark in Denmark demonstrate the potential of empirical biomimicry in action. Ultimately, social biomimicry should prioritize studying and translating natural processes into human systems, rather than relying on analogy or ideology.