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.

Permaculture definitions

Different people explain permaculture in different ways.

"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." - Rosemary Morrow

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

Hear from permaculture practitioners around the world in this playlist:

Learn more as a Permaculture Association member

We support our members and others in the permaculture network to design thriving communities across Britain by applying permaculture ethics and principles, and to contribute to permaculture worldwide.

Whether you are involved in gardening, farming, building homes, economic regeneration, or business, using permaculture design empowers you to make the right choices for a sustainable future.

Just one of the benefits of Permaculture Association membership is an exclusive learning email series. We will send an email every few weeks, to help you deepen your knowledge, discover new aspects of the design process, and learn useful practical solutions. Read the first email 'Observe and Interact', for free.

Permaculture in the mainstream

Here is a selection of recent mainstream media features: