by
Paul
BenhaimThe trouble is, we cannot eat much of what grows in a
natural forest, so to expect it to be productive in this way is
inappropriate. Instead, we take the principles of the multi-layered
forest and select wild and cultivated plants which yield food, fibres,
biomass for building and heating, plants to increase soil fertility
and species to support wildlife. We also create clearings and
'edges', places where the sun can penetrate to ripen fruit and
vegetables. You cannot grow the ingredients for a loaf of bread
here, but you can grow many perennial and self-seeding plants
which either crop or store throughout the year. What you are
creating is a system which is self-sufficient in energy and does not
require many resources to be imported from far away.
A forest garden is only one example of permaculture
design. Being rooted in nature, the principles of permaculture are
incredibly versatile and are not limited purely to the production of
food in a home garden. They can be applied to the design of any
human system such as a household, architecture, town planning,
water supply and purification, and even commercial and financial
systems.
Permaculture can be defined as a framework which uses
many skills and disciplines to design holistic systems which
reduce ecological footprints. Put simply, it is a way of using
resources more efficiently and recycling ones we have already
used. It is, however, important to realise that permaculture is an
evolving discipline still in its infancy. We need to find ways of
building co-operative partnerships between all kinds of people and
groups, and work together to build on existing research.