Self-sufficiency of basic resources
Food, energy, housing, care – these needs are met inside the community as much as possible.
About community
What a sustainable community is and why Mycelium is the better alternative
This page answers three questions. First – what a sustainable community is. Second – what the European Horizon Europe program is, which also works in this direction. Third – why Mycelium proposes a different and better approach.
1. What a sustainable community is
A sustainable community is a group of people who live together and organize their resources – time, skills, space, knowledge – in such a way that they do not depend on external forces to exist.
It is not a place. It is a practice. It exists when the people who compose it can sustain it – through knowledge, skills, habits and the ability to endure under pressure.
A sustainable community is not an escape from the world. It exists in parallel with it. It uses what the world provides – technology, communications, materials – but does not depend on it for its basic needs.
What makes a community sustainable
Decentralized governance
No central point on which everything depends. Decisions are made at the level where they arise.
Internal exchange
Resources are exchanged between members according to rules they set themselves – not through an external market.
Ability to sustain
A community is not an idea. It is a practice that requires knowledge, skills and habits that develop over time.
A sustainable community is not a utopia. It is a working model that
requires real commitment. It does not happen automatically – it requires abilities that not
everyone has. But they can be developed.
2. Horizon Europe – the centralized alternative
The European Union has its own program for the sustainable development of communities. It is called Horizon Europe and is the world's largest research and innovation funding program, with a budget of €95.5 billion for the period 2021–2027.
Within this program, several "missions" are defined, aimed at specific societal challenges. One of them – adaptation to climate change – aims to support at least 150 European regions and communities in building resilience by 2030. So far, €517 million have been granted to 61 projects.
How Horizon Europe works
The program operates through calls for funding. Local organizations – municipalities, non-governmental organizations, universities – apply with projects. If approved, they receive funding and carry out their project for a defined period.
Decisions on which projects to fund are made by committees in Brussels. Regions and communities apply, but they do not decide – they wait for approval.
The key difference: centralization
Horizon Europe is a centralized program. Money comes from above. Decisions
are made from outside. Communities apply, but do not manage the process itself. This creates
dependence – on the budget, on political will, on program timelines.
This does not mean that Horizon Europe is a bad program. It does a lot for sustainable development in Europe. But it is a hidden alternative to the market model – an alternative that depends on the same centralized structures that govern the market.
3. Why Mycelium is the better alternative
Mycelium also works for sustainable development of communities. But it does so in a different way – not through centralized funding, but through a decentralized protocol that the community applies on its own.
| Aspect | Horizon Europe | Mycelium |
|---|---|---|
| Governance | Centralized – decisions are made in Brussels | Decentralized – decisions are made by members at every level |
| Funding | Depends on the EU budget and political will | Independent of external funding – the community sustains itself |
| Sustainability | Tied to the program period (2021–2027) | Independent of timelines – the protocol is permanent |
| Role of the community | Applies and waits for approval | Applies the protocol and decides on its own |
| Scale | Limited by the budget – 150 regions | Unlimited – any community can start on its own |
| Dependence | Depends on central structures | Depends on no one outside the community |
Three reasons why Mycelium is the better choice
Does not depend on anyone
Mycelium does not wait for funding from Brussels. The community sustains itself through internal exchange – through SV. No approval from outside is needed.
Decisions are internal
Every level of Mycelium is autonomous. Decisions are made by the people who live with the consequences – not by committees in another country.
Does not expire
Horizon Europe ends in 2027. Mycelium does not end – it is a protocol the community applies for as long as it exists.
Mycelium is not against Horizon Europe. The two can exist in parallel. But
while Horizon Europe offers centralized support, Mycelium offers decentralized
self-sufficiency. That is the difference between dependence and autonomy.
What this means for you
If you are looking for a way to live more sustainably, you have two options:
- To wait – to apply under a program like Horizon Europe and hope to be approved.
- To start – to apply a protocol like Mycelium and create a sustainable community on your own, without depending on anyone.
Mycelium does not promise money. Does not promise approval. It promises only one thing – that if a person is ready to put in effort, they can become part of something that works and depends on no one.
How Mycelium works
The next page shows the structure of the protocol – how it is organized, how it is governed and how it is sustained.