What is permaculture?

Permaculture combines three key aspects:

1. An ethical framework

2. Understandings of how nature works

3. A design approach

This unique combination provides an ethical framework that is used to design regenerative systems at all scales - from home and garden to community, farm and bioregions.

The word 'permaculture' comes originally from 'permanent agriculture' and 'permanent culture' - it is about living lightly on the planet, and making sure that we can sustain human activities for many generations to come, in harmony with nature.

Permanence is not about everything staying the same. It is about stability, about deepening soils and cleaner water, thriving communities in self-reliant regions, biodiverse agriculture, and social justice, peace and abundance.

Learn more about permaculture and help it spread - become a member of the Permaculture Association.

Learn more as a member

Just one of the benefits of Permaculture Association is an exclusive learning email series - we will send you a series of educational emails every few weeks, themed around the Holmgren principles of permaculture. This is an opportunity to deepen your knowledge, discover new aspects of the design process, and learn useful practical solutions.

See the first email for free. Receive the whole series included with your membership.

Hear from permaculture practitioners around the world:

Quotes from the video:

"Permaculture offers ways we can design human habitat, places for people to be, that work with nature."

"How we use systems thinking and these design principles to apply to whatever you want... anyone can learn about it."

"I find it very difficult, like everyone else, to define permaculture because it covers all of human living."

Permaculture in the mainstream

Here is a selection of recent mainstream media features on permaculture: