Permaculturalists

Permaculturalists are practitioners and advocates of permaculture, an approach to designing sustainable human environments that seeks to maximize productive ecosystems while minimizing waste and external inputs. The practice combines ecological design, agroecology, and traditional wisdom to create landscapes, housing, and communities that function like natural systems.

Permaculture originated in the late 1970s in Australia, developed by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. It is guided by ethics—earth care, people care, and fair share—and by design principles that emphasize observation, pattern recognition, and working with rather than against natural processes. Holmgren’s design framework, along with a broader set of principles, informs how permaculture systems are planned and implemented.

Core techniques include establishing food-producing ecosystems such as agroforestry and food forests, creating diverse and integrated plant and animal guilds, capturing and storing water through swales and ponds, building soil through composting and mulching, and integrating renewable energy, efficient housing, and localized governance. Permaculture projects range from small urban gardens to village-scale farms and community land trusts.

Education and certification are common among permaculturalists. The widely offered Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) courses provide an introduction to ethics, principles, and basic design methods. There is no single global governing body; practice and standards vary by region and organization.

Criticism notes that permaculture is often difficult to assess with conventional scientific methods, can be variably implemented, and sometimes risks overpromising on outcomes. Nevertheless, permaculturalists have influenced sustainable design and resilience efforts in many regions, emphasizing local self-reliance, ecological literacy, and community-based solutions.