Agriculture and design
Permaculture
A design system for sustainable land use and living that mimics natural ecosystems, built on the ethics of earth care, people care and fair share.
Definition
Permaculture is a design approach for creating sustainable human settlements and agricultural systems by observing and imitating patterns and relationships found in natural ecosystems. Developed by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in 1970s Australia, it is guided by three ethics — earth care, people care and fair share — and a set of design principles applied from gardens to farms to communities.
References
definition, ethics and principles
co-originator's articulation of the framework
Overview
What it means
Permaculture practice emphasises perennial and diverse plantings, closed nutrient loops, water harvesting, stacking functions (each element serving multiple purposes) and working with rather than against site conditions. It functions both as a practical land-design methodology and as a broader grassroots movement with its own training and certification culture.
How it is used
Permaculture design courses (PDCs) and demonstration sites spread the approach globally; its techniques overlap substantially with agroecology, agroforestry and regenerative agriculture, though permaculture remains practitioner-led rather than institutionalised.
Why it matters
Permaculture has shaped two generations of practical sustainable land design and community experimentation, providing a widely accessible framework that connects food production to ecosystem thinking.
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