The term permaculture was coined by the Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren and is a contraction of the words permanent and agriculture. That is, permaculture tries to develop practicable agrarian systems that enable the durable cultivation of land. In doing so, permaculture is based on the diverse, complex and productive interrelationships and patterns found in nature.
History has shown us more than once that nature does not tolerate overexploitation. If natural systems are used to excess they will “topple over”. The consequences of overutilization and mismanagement can be seen on a worldwide level: climate crisis, soil degradation, resource scarcity, loss of habitat and biodiversity…
The permaculture approach is an alternative design diametrically opposed to all the above. Permaculture discerns, uses and promotes the potentials of a landscape; it works with nature and not against it.