Bill Mollison defined permaculture as: “The conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive systems which have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of the landscape with people providing their food, energy, shelter and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way.”

This definition of permaculture explains its basic concept, which lies in the study of the model of nature and its subsequent application. The main purpose of permaculture is to adapt the man-made system to the ecosystem, although there are many different understandings of it.

The term Permaculture consists of combining the words Permanent and Agriculture. Initially, permaculture was focused on producing healthy food, but over time, its philosophy has expanded to include economics and social systems. It is quite a dynamic movement and is still evolving and gaining a variety of meanings. For example, some followers of permaculture also attach importance to spiritual and personal growth.

Where did it all start?

In 1970, Australian ecologist and Professor Bill Mollison of the University of Tasmania created permaculture. For many years he observed wildlife as a biologist and in the process became convinced that human intervention in nature had only a negative effect. He decided instead of just protesting to work out a solution to remedy this situation. He realized that the solution had to be found in the existing model of the universe.

By observing nature, Mollison came to several important conclusions. Nature, for example forests and swamps, is sustainable. They generate the necessary energy and recycle their own waste. Also, different elements of nature are interconnected with each other. Each component of the system performs an important task. For example, bees take part in plant pollination, birds fight pests, some plants expel nitrogen from the air to allow other plants to breathe. All of these elements work for themselves and, at the same time, for others. Bill Milson decided to use this model of nature to create a sustainable agro-system.

In 1970, he and his student, David Holmgren, wrote and published several books explaining the basic idea of ​​permaculture. In 1980, the main textbook was published, the main purpose of which was to acquaint the reader with the design and techniques of permaculture. In 1990, permaculture became more and more popular in the US, as well as in other parts of the world. Even today it continues to grow as a movement and has more and more followers daily. There are currently numerous workshops where interested parties can study the principles of permaculture and then implement it themselves.

Who uses permaculture?

In addition to the people who learn and use permaculture on a daily basis to live in harmony with nature, there are those who unknowingly follow this way of life. For example: conservationists, individual farmers, land use planners, urban activists, and anyone who tries to contribute to a sustainable and harmonious environment with their daily behavior. Permaculture combines ideas and philosophies that existed long before its inception.

Have you ever heard of eco-design, sustainable design, applied ecology or green design? These are philosophies that also use nature as an example of sustainable and harmonious living. The difference between these approaches and permaculture is the area of ​​application. Permaculture combines and integrates these systems into a broader framework. This system is detailed and fits into any aspect of human life, even though its original focus was on food production. As mentioned earlier, permaculture is a dynamic life philosophy that is constantly evolving.

How can we use permaculture in practice?

Anyone can engage in permaculture. Because it is a fairly broad and dynamic system, it can be customized for different situations and at different levels. This requires four basic elements: 1) Ethics - the main philosophy and motive why you use this method; 2) Basic principles - knowledge of the technical principle of permaculture; 3) Strategy - long-term goals that will help you concentrate; 4) Techniques - specific ways in which you will achieve the ultimate goal.