What is permaculture: principles and advantages

If we seek the literal meaning, the etymological definition of The word “permaculture”we find that, on the one hand, “Perma” It derives from “permanent” and that within ecology, integration, sustainability and self -sustainability are encompassed, and that on the other hand, the word “culture” It refers to “cultivation”, promoting ecological and ethical philosophy to integrate with the environment.

It is a way of life that is considered ethical, sustainable, balanced with nature and that seeks to find the point where you can keep the present while ensuring the future of the planet and of all living beings, including of course humans.

In the 70s in Australia he sought From agroecology Different ways of achieving agrosystems that take into account everything, that is to say that they were holistic, that could be directed towards self -supply locally, to be able to live again with the natural environment, as our ancestors did, but with improvements thanks to the knowledge we have today.

According to the precursors of this type of agriculture and lifestyle respectful of the environment, which goes beyond organic farming, David Holmgren (ecologist and ecological design engineer) and Bill Mollison (biologist, researcher, environmentalist and activist), permaculture can be defined as a fully aware design of the landscapes that mimic patterns and relationships in nature, while supplying fibers, foods and energies. abundance to meet the needs of local beings.

In short, a habitable environment designed through permaculture achieves combine the lives of humans with that of animals and plants of the place, in a totally harmonious and profitable way for all parties. In this way, we ensure that we can live perfectly today and that in the future you can also live in good natural condition, taking care and preserving the planet in which we inhabit.

The principles of permaculture are simple and focused on being able to achieve as much as possible what we have commented so far, both for people and for the environment in its entirety.

1. Observe and interact: Dedicating time to connect with nature allows us to design solutions adapted to our specific circumstances. Learn from nature to integrate our systems harmoniously and beneficially.
2. Capture and store energy: Resources are limited and seasonal. For a sustainable future, we must devise efficient ways to capture and store energy and other renewable resources such as water, fertile soil or biodiversity.
3. Get a performance: The systems we design must generate tangible results for the community, without compromising the future. Productivity must be measured by the real amount of resources generated against the effort invested.
4. Apply self -regulation and accept feedback: Understanding feedbacks in nature allows us to create self -regulated systems that require less intervention, maintaining a balance with the environment.
5. Use and value natural services and resources: Taking advantage of natural abundance efficiently, reducing excessive consumption and dependence on non -renewable sources, it is essential for long -term sustainability.
6. Stop producing waste: There are no waste in nature, only resources that are integrated again into natural cycles. Take advantage of all available resources eliminates the concept of residue.
7. Design from the patterns to the details: Bb observing general patterns in nature and society, we can create solid bases for our designs, which can then be adapted in their details to optimize the system.
8. Integrate more than segregate: The interactions between the elements are more important than the elements separately. By correctly organizing the elements, cooperative relationships arise that strengthen the whole.
9. Use slow and small solutions: Small -scale and low -impact solutions are easier to manage and more sustainable than big fast projects, since they are more resilient and better use local resources.
10. Use and value diversity: Diversity in a system makes it more robust and less vulnerable to external threats, taking advantage of the particularities of the environment in which it is located.
11. Use the edges and value the marginal: The edges between different ecosystems are areas of high productivity and wealth. These transition points are vital for the interaction of different elements and the promotion of biodiversity.
12. Use and respond creatively to change: Instead of resisting change, we can adapt creatively to obtain positive results. The key is to observe and act at the right time to transform the challenges into opportunities.

Thus, there are many benefits that we can obtain from this lifestyle, but to mention the main ones in ecology, we highlight the following Advantages of permaculture:

• It allows to live in a healthier way than the majority of today’s society.
• It is cultivated and consumed by seasons according to the real needs of the body in each season of the year.
• The resources used come from the immediate nature and the environment, so the initial costs are lower.
• It is not necessary to use large machines or intensive work to increase land productivity.
• The land that is worked with permaculture is very fertile, since it is treated and careful, both with processes and with totally natural product, which allows it to be self -regulated alone and even protects themselves from diseases.
• It helps the personal economy of those who follow this lifestyle, since the expenses are lower.
• The economy of the local area is stimulated.
• Renewable energies used at the beginning may need high investment, such as solar panels, but in the long run they are amortized and a great advantage is, reducing the cost in electricity and pollution.
• He collaborates to keep the present and at the same time ensure a future, taking care of the planet instead of abusing it.
• It helps to raise awareness among society, both children and the elderly, that you have to take care of the planet, that we are not its only inhabitants and that it is possible to do so at the same time improve many aspects of our quality of life.

They also exist Disadvantages of permaculturebut we can consider them as few compared to the advantages.

• Production is lower, so it does not serve to feed those who live in areas where it cannot be easily produced.
• It requires much more time, dedication and volume of work than other forms of food cultivation and energy production.
• The consumer, although being local, pays a higher price than for processed and industrialized products, because the volume is lower and therefore the highest costs.
• Although it is made to the maximum, it is difficult to be able to ensure 100% that a crop is totally natural and ecological, since today the transgenic crops are widespread and the seeds move through the environment through wind and water, so there may be “contaminated” natural crops with transgenic crosses.

Now that you know what permaculture is and what its principles are, you may also be interested in this post about organic farming: what is, advantages, examples of techniques and pests.

If you want to read more articles similar to What is permaculture: principles and advantageswe recommend that you enter our category of other ecology.