sign in sign up
<<
Home , Permaculture, Permaculture Association, Plants for a Future

A social learning organisation evolves a research capability in order to study itself

E. Sears1,2,3, C. Warburton-Brown2, T. Remiarz2, R. S. Ferguson4 1 University of Exeter ([email protected]), 2 Association, 3 For A Future, 4 University of Illinois 3 1 Introduction COMPONENTS OF THE Results Given the from human impacts on the The results from running the model earth system, there is an urgent need for RESEARCH PROCESS research process for three years (2010- globally scalable solutions for transitioning Research items papers conferences projects trial 2013) are that 22 components are to a sustainable way of life (Future Earth outputs published written attended funded sites operational or funded. Time spent on 2013). One available tool is permaculture: permaculture research includes one co- 'the conscious design and maintenance of ordinator (3 days/week), 6 interns agriculturally productive which (average 3 days/week), Research

have the diversity, stability and resilience e Advisory Board (14 people, occasional),

y k

s

g

r

o

y

d

m

s

o

of natural ecosystems' (Mollison 1990). o students and academics (350+ studying

t s g

e

y

o t

l

b

a e e

s

e n

i

t

d w e

s

c

v e diploma in UK, and permaculture o l

i Scope d a

s r n o

r x

g

a

d

u

i

t

i u a Projects a n

t

a

r

n

s d

s t research at BA/MSc/PhD/Post-doc level). k b i

h t This poster describes activities over the s last three years to evolve a research capability within permaculture. The 'social 4 learning organisation' is the permaculture Conclusion r s Permaculture is developing fast as a

network as a whole (Reed et al 2010). r o s t e c a i n practice and as an academic field. This s y n t o r i i m t n o d i 2 e project is an example of how to do d t n n n

People r e s e r d Research question r r r i c o d c v a i a e e e - a f u t t t systematic work in a non-hierarchical c f d o r t o n n Is permaculture a useful tool in the global n a o i i i a b p s transition to ? A central c network, using a distinctive 'grow your criticism of permaculture is that it lacks a own data' and 'eat your own results' Lush Cosmetics published evidence base, so this project approach to scientific experimentation, giving a strong connection between real- aims to test claims within permaculture by Funding developing, assembling, analysing and world personal survival strategies and a publishing the evidence (see figure 1). community design process for Figure 1: Components of the research process transitioning to sustainability.

3a EVIDENCE EMBEDDED IN DISTRIBUTED ECOSYSTEMS Physical yields Designs and plans: the diploma portfolio Species distribution and prevalence in ● The written record of permaculture design lies in personal, commercial, community Annual vegetable (trial mature (20+ years) permaculture site. and student design portfolios. run) Botanical survey of the Field, Plants ● The 300+ UK students currently enrolled on the Diploma in Applied Permaculture ● Field trial: one year Permaculture For A Future site at Penpol, Cornwall, Design will each complete ten designs during their coursework. Association member's trial with 50 UK (Wellwood 2010). ● Bane (2002) estimated 100,000+ graduates of 2-week permaculture design recipients of seed packets, 24 indicators courses taught by c.500-1000 tutors (from beginning in 1970s to 2002 worldwide). respondents, comparing 12-species Biological and Soil indicators project. mixture to 3-species mixture on side- Assemble, test and roll out to 20 by-side 1-square-metre plots (Van der countries, indicators of biological and Velden 2011). soil health in permaculture systems, Livelihoods and skills: the homegarden ● suitable for use in the field (2013-14). Reports on completed projects for funders document past achievements. Perennial polycultures – forest ● The Instituto de Permacultura de El Salvador trained 256 in diversifying monitoring project and 200 families created organic vegetable gardens (IPES 2009). ● Baseline survey: 110 sites, 18 ● Homegardens are accessible examples for designing living systems (see figure 2). countries – mostly Europe, N. America. Age: 1 site 33 years, 10 Constructed systems: sites 20-30 years , 14 sites 10-20 WET Systems years, 24 sites 5-10 years. ● Integrated, multi-species constructed Stories and cultures: Transition Culture ● Information gathered on goals, wetlands for water treatment, The word 'permaculture' is derived from perma-nent agri-culture, and the movement performance against goals, species biodiversity enhancement and has spawned a new and separate but intimately-linked transition culture: The and documentation. resource production. Transition Network, which was originated by while creating an Energy ● Field trials: started in 2010, as a 10- ● Sites include 400 people living full- Descent Action Plan for Kinsale, Ireland on a permaculture design course. The year trial. 10 sites, gathering time, cider mills, 350-head dairy, Transition Network now extends to >40 countries and hundreds of projects, with its information on planting, yields and festival and outdoor education sites. own research approach set out in the Transition Research Primer (Henfrey and management. First round evaluation Subject of PhD study 2013-2016. Brangwyn 2013). Permaculture also extends around the world (see figure 3). after three years, written up now.

Ecological footprints of permaculture practitioners Sites and case studies: Rapid and ● Steward Community Woodland residents had ecological footprints of 2.06 global hectares (39% of UK average) and carbon footprints of 3.75 tonnes (34% of UK decarbonisation in average 10.92 tonnes) (Knight 2008). Cuban government and society employed agroecological techniques, permaculture ● Pilkington et al (2011) found permaculture practitioners had lower ecological designers and urban community to provide food for the after the footprints than residents of ecohomes, while comparing the importance of behaviour sudden reduction in oil supplies after the fall of the Soviet Union. This case study and technology in reducing energy consumption. 50% of practitioners had highlights the transplantation of permaculture from rural to an urbanised footprints <2.5gha. The current earthshare is c.1.8gha (area available for each tropical island, a crisis triggered by fossil fuel dependency, and a challenge to the individual if productive is shared equally). colonial distribution of permaculture knowledge.

Figure 2: The homegarden. Image: Brendan McDowell 2013

Bibliography 3b Key to map Bane, P. (2002) A perspective on change. EXTENT OF PERMACULTURE Permaculture Activist 48, p.18-21. International Permaculture Future Earth (2013) Future Earth Initial Conference locations Design: Report of the Transition Team. Paris: ICSU. Respondents to international Henfrey, T. and B. Brangwyn (2013) Transition Research Primer. Transition permaculture research Research Network. survey - Permaculture IPES (2009) The power of permaculture: a Association 2013 community approach to tackling food <10 respondents poverty. Permaculture Association/ Permaculture Institute of El Salvador. >10 respondents

Knight, W. (2008) Report for the residents of Steward Field surveys of Community Woodland. 4th World permaculture farms - . Ferguson 2013 Mollison, B. (1990) Permaculture: A practical guide for a sustainable future. Island Press. Other countries with projects listed on Permaculture Pilkington B., R. Roach, J. Perkins (2011) Relative benefits of technology and Global 2013 occupant behaviour in moving towards a www.permacultureglobal.com more energy efficient, sustainable housing paradigm. , v.39, nr.9, pp.4962-4970. Extent of permaculture website readership Reed, M. S., A. C. Evely, G. Cundill, I. Plants For A Future Fazey et al. (2010) What is social www.pfaf.org learning? and Society 15(4). Unique visitors (Nov 2013) 138,724 Page views (Nov 2013) 331,258 Van der Velden, N. (2011) Mixed Countries of origin (2012) 210 vegetable trials: the results. Permaculture Association. Retrieved Permaculture Association www.permaculture.org.uk 24/11/13. Figure 3: Extent of permaculture around the world. Image: http://english.freemap.jp/ www.permaculture.org.uk Unique visitors (2012) 164,684 Wellwood, C. (2010) Penpol Report. Countries of origin (2012) 190 Plants For A Future. Retrieved Email enquiries (2012) 40,000 www.pfaf.org 24/11/13.