Permaculture: From Observation to Application of Nature's Patterns

Permaculture is a lifestyle ethic and a design system that is based on sustainability concepts and nature's patterns. According to the permaculture philosophy, food production, community design and land use could be reorganized based on ecological design. Some researchers have found that many pre-Colombian peoples in the Amazon basin emulated natural design in their communities.

What does permaculture mean? Specific examples could include maximizing the use of trees and perennial plants; using chickens in weed control; and making sure that agricultural workers are treated fairly. A basic question that permaculturists might want to answer is, How can we profit from our land resources in ways that keep that land productive -- and how do we do it without exploiting people?

From Australia to the United States, local citizen groups concerned about resource dependency and environmental degradation are making a concerted effort to undo and redo current consumption and living patterns.

Where does CSR fit into the picture? Permaculture has spawned a monster of a word, "ecologinomic", to represent ecology-economic ethics in land use. Perhaps systems ecology and sustainable living philosophies could rub off on corporations going forward, particularly on agricultural and chemical giants that have been accused of dubious business practices in recent years.