The concept of permaculture refers to an agricultural approach that is different from the usual one. As its name implies, it is a combination of two words: agriculture and permanent. In other words, it is agricultural activity based on rational planning of production systems related to the field.
The objective of permaculture is twofold: profitability in agricultural activity and, at the same time, integration with the natural landscape with a criterion of sustainability.
A form of ecological agriculture
In recent decades, agriculture has been based on destructive agro-industrial systems, therefore, permaculture represents an alternative that aims to avoid the contaminating development of plantations.
A habitat designed according to the principles of permaculture is a system that combines the life of human beings with respect for animals and cultivated land. Thus, the houses are made from recycled material, the farm animals live integrated in a welcoming habitat and everything that is cultivated maintains sustainability criteria with the natural environment. Consequently, a project with these characteristics inspires respect for nature and, at the same time, is a cultural and philosophical approach. It can be said that it is a way of life and not simply a business.
Something more than cultivated land
Permaculture incorporates several elements: technological, educational, energy, as well as aspects related to design and construction. In this way, those who put this type of project into practice build their houses from raw materials obtained from their surroundings, use non-polluting energy sources , technology adapts to cultural tradition and all of this has an educational dimension.
The origins of permaculture
In the 1970s two Australian ecologists started the permaculture system as we know it today. His way of understanding agriculture was propagated through books and television programs, and in a few years his philosophy was developed in various territories in Australia, later on to other parts of the planet.
Currently, there are projects all over the world and in most cases it is oriented towards the preservation of traditional cultures, social projects in refugee camps or ecological agriculture .
