Introduction

Permaculture is a system based on natural ecosystem processes: through consciously combining plant, animal, built environment and energy systems, it endeavours to create sustainable human habitats, settlements and agriculturally productive systems. The intention is to design productive systems that ultimately generate more energy than they consume, with no negative impact on the natural or social environment.

Permaculture is a systems design response to the downward spiral into unsustainability that the world has been involved in for the last 150 years (at least). The name Permaculture is derived from “permanent”, “agriculture” and “culture”. Australian professor Bill Mollisson and his student Dave Holmgren coined this phrase in 1978, to describe their design framework for sustainable development.

There are tens of thousands of Permaculturalists the world over who have implemented this design strategy, in a huge range of climates and contexts. The UN has recognised Permaculture as a useful intervention in areas that have experienced natural disasters, or post-war situations.

Because it is a multidisciplinary approach, many techniques like Organics, Biodynamics and other agricultural practices are incorporated within its framework.

Permaculture systems do not use economic performance as the only measure of success. The "Ethics and principles" heading will explain this further.

Click here to view a video that explains permaculture, producing food without destroying the planet.