Permaculture and

International Development

ORFC 2018

Permaculture ethics and principles

OUR PERMACULTURE SPEAKERS:

Elizabeth Westaway (PhD) International public health policy & practice

Anne-Marie Mayer (PhD) International Nutrition, Epidemiology & Soil

Lachlan McKenzie – Permatil (Timor-Leste), Permaculture Assoc Britain

Chris Evans – Himalayan Permaculture Centre (Nepal) /

Applewood Permaculture Centre (Herefordshire)

Session Chair: George McAllister – GardenAfrica / CAWR

Why Permaculture in International

Development?

Chair - outlining our challenges / talking points here : explaining briefly why the

‘sustainable ag’ discourse speaks to a more technocratic agenda (food

security / global limits / ‘needs’ narrative) – and why this is limited/limiting to

wider social discourse, particularly on prevention and social farming/practices.

1) Policy-making through a permaculture lens - social justice & change

2) Silos in international development – linking sustainable food systems

3) Development in an age of climate uncertainty – DRR & preparedness

4) Whose knowledge matters – social farming, sharing & innovation (CE)

Policy-making through a permaculture

lens - social justice & change

Elizabeth Westaway (PhD)

International public health policy & practice

Permaculture Definitions

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.

Bill Mollison (1970s)

Permaculture is a design process. It helps design intelligent systems which meet human needs whilst enhancing biodiversity, reducing our

impact on the planet, and creating a fairer world for us all.

People across the globe are creating thriving communities with permaculture.

Permaculture Assoc. Britain (2000s)

Permaculture Lens (1)

Ethics – triple bottom line

Ecological principles

Top down (strategic systems)

thinking

Design (then Action) – bottom up

Solution-focused

Social Movement

Transformative change

Permaculture Lens (2)

Holistic

Inclusive

Rights-based

Different scales

Circular/rural/local economies

Social justice

Regenerative cultures

One planet living

Agroecology

Food and seed sovereignty

Global Policy Arena… permaculture access points?

Global paradigm shift to small, mixed, diverse agroecological systems

CFS44 – report request on “Agroecological approaches and other

innovations …”

COP23 – CSOs “propose solution formed by agricultural systems that derive

from traditional knowledge … such as agroecology and other low-impact

practices …”

Regenerative organic agriculture certification

Global Nutrition Report 2017: Nourishing the SDGs

A People’s Food Policy: Transforming our Food System

Policy Challenges

Limited awareness of/increased interest in permaculture by INGOs,

UN Agencies, Academia, Funders

Mercy Corps, TOPS Permagarden Toolkit resource

Permaculture case studies on FAO Agroecology Knowledge Hub

database

Few policies incorporating permaculture globally

Need for PAB permaculture policy brief

Need for evidence of impact, rigorous research

Silos in international development –

linking sustainable food systems

Anne-Marie Mayer (PhD)

International Nutrition, Epidemiology & Soil

Siloed Challenges:

Malnutrition : Triple burden

2 billion people lack key micronutrients like iron and vitamin A;

155 million children are stunted; 52 million children are wasted;

2 billion adults are overweight or obese;

Trade-offs between Agriculture and Health.

Irrigation projects and malaria.

Increase links to markets of nutritious foods, and consumption trade-off.

Increased fertiliser use in agriculture – runoff to water bodies and fish die.

Increased agricultural productivity and reduced nutrient content of food.

Why is this happening?

Separate sectors with separate budgets and separate objectives

Success is measured in one dimension

Economic interests

Food systems are complex …

Cornell University Food Systems research group

Permaculture for School Health and Nutrition

Chilala Primary School, Nkhata Bay, Malawi

2007 January

Before permaculture - rainy season

2011 June

4 years later - dry season

Photos by Caroline Pragnell

Malawi Schools are using PC design for:

education for students, teachers and community on health & sustainability

integrated production systems with gardens, orchards, animals and

woodlots

water & sanitation systems: composting toilets, rainwater harvesting,

drinking water

energy generation from firewood and renewables

health & gender initiatives

Achievements

PC is part of the School Health and Nutrition strategy

School designs are created and implemented with local resources

provided by students, teachers, parents and community members.

Teachers, Students, Extension Agents and Ministry of Education officials are

being trained in PC design.

How was this achieved?

Early understanding of the problem (Observe and interact)

• 2006 Nationwide Survey found 30% no breakfast, 30% stunted, 54% anaemic,

• monotonous diet, health, sanitation problems low agricultural productivity

Purposeful integrated design of many elements in the system

• food, hygiene, water, sanitation, energy ….

Building policy from the bottom up (use small and slow solutions)

• Community involvement; students teach parents and communities

• Each school designs and adapts to their local situation.

Several government departments working together (integrate rather than segregate)

• Education, Health, Agriculture from national to local levels

Funding from multiple sources with support from community and influential committed

individuals

What else is needed to build integration and break down silos?

Development in an age of climate

uncertainty – DRR & preparedness Lachlan McKenzie

Permatil (Timor-Leste), Permaculture Assoc Britain

Long term programming for people

centred developmentThe challenges

Working with short funding cycles

Working to the true concept of development and breaking the stereotype

of western-aspirational development and easy technology.

Participatory programme

development

Integrating, celebrating and enhancing

traditional wisdom, not replacing it

Multiple in-situ short courses &demonstrations, with follow-

up & monitoring. Piece by piece these build in time to

produce ‘whole community’ results

Adaptability - permaculture fits with many international

development programmes and can integrate them

together. It especially emphasises soil health and

regenerative food production as the key base for

achieving many objectives

Disasters and emergencies

Disasters and emergencies are becoming

more and more common, and the

planning and responses to them are

directly linked to food production.

The main challenges are:

Siloed responses – often reactive.

The bulk of money and effort goes into

immediate response, mirroring our

global approach to health care.

Long-term preventative and sustainable

approaches are rare.

Permaculture, including in the majority world, is focused on

promoting resilience & regeneration. In terms of design

processes, this means including disaster prevention,

mitigation &risk reduction as part of any project.

Food/water insecurity is one of the biggest push factors for

refugees and is directly linked to every disaster and

emergency. How can we reduce/ reverse/remove these

as push factors.

Refugee and IDP camps(where refugees spend an average of 17 years)

Blue print designs that include:

Input/Output focus

Cleaning and reusing waste water for food production

Compost toilets and waste management

Areas for rapid food production

Training and capacity building programmes

Approaches for temporary and permanent settlements

Social and mental health awareness and responses

Whose knowledge matters – social

farming, sharing & innovation (CE)

Chris Evans

Himalayan Permaculture Centre (Nepal)

Applewood Permaculture Centre (Herefordshire)

www.himalayanpermaculture.com

The Challenges

The solutions

DEMONSTRATION

TRAINING

TRAINING

RESOURCES

RESOURCES

RESOURCESTRAINING

DEMONSTRATION

Scale upIf your program

is successful,

how do you

avoid just

getting bigger?

Barefoot consultants

* Develop own land

* Develop own community

* Farmers’ Training

* Trainers’ Training

* PDC

Barefoot consultants

DEMONSTRATION

TRAINING

RESOURCES

SO WHAT’S NEXT?

Course – Permaculture for Development Workers

(sign up at the PAB table in main hall)

Get involved – Permaculture in International Development Working Group

Come and have a chat over the next 2 days.