Permaculture, Agroecology, what are they?
Permaculture (permanent agriculture) was originally a method theorized in the 1970s by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in Australia based on a model developed by Japanese farmer Masanobu Fukuoka.
This form of agriculture aims to draw inspiration from nature to develop synergistic agricultural systems, based on crop diversity, resilience and natural productivity.
The objective is to produce a harmonious, resilient, productive and sustainable environment.
Now synonymous with permanent culture in the broad sense, permaculture designates a global ethic and method aimed at the design of integrated systems in a sustainable development strategy, where human activity must take into account natural ecosystems and be carried out in harmony and interconnection with them, with a constant concern for efficiency, sustainability and resilience.
Agroecology and permaculture are often confused, yet these two practices are different. Agroecology goes further than organic farming.
It aims to create a sustainable agricultural system, using techniques such as complementarity, composting, cultivation on mounds, and to integrate these systems in an ecological way by saving water, fighting against erosion, etc.
These are things that can be found in permaculture, but agroecology is broader since it focuses not only on creating sustainable and resilient agricultural systems, but also on integrating them into a broader system of life within which we must take into account human, social, energy, etc.
