Etymology
The word “permaculture” is the combination of “pemanent” and “agriculture”. Initially, it was a essentially a way for a sustainable method of agricultural production.
However, the concept of permaculture has since expanded far beyond simple vegetable practices. It is now considered as an art of designing ecosystems and a lifestyle for humans. It finds its inspiration from the functioning of nature and encompasses not only the care for nature and the land, but also dimensions linked to housing, technology, education, health and the economy.
Indeed, today, one observation is obvious:
The current models in place, whether agricultural, economic or social, have not been sustainably established. They deplete the biodiversity and natural resources that are essential to our survival.
Therefore, we must find other ways to ensure our future and that of the species with which we share the planet.
Permaculture is, without a doubt, a powerful tool we have to help us regenerate this environment. It allows us to move away from our pyramidal representation of the earth’s equilibrium, with predators at the top and plants and micro-organisms at the bottom. This vision infers a notion of superiority.
We now know that all the elements of the chain are interdependent and connected to each other, in a circular system and not a pyramidal one: if we break the circle everything collapses.