Research on Permaculture Presented at the DOST-ASTHRDP Graduate Scholars Conference at PICC

Presenting partial results of our study at the DOST-ASTHRDP Graduate Scholars Conference 2019.
Photo by Kinsey Meg Perez

Philippine International Convention Center, Pasay City
May 2-3, 2019

As this generation faces a changing climate, we are in need of practical solutions to address food security that can be accessible to all sectors of society.

Permaculture is a design framework based on ethics and systems thinking that can address this challenge. The concept went mainstream via the internet in the mid-2000s, when its practitioners' online actions have manifested into the intentional transformation of physical and socio-ecological landscapes.

The research is the first of its kind in the country to study and document designs from the household to the municipal level in different ecosystems and social contexts.

Borrowing tools from multiple disciplines, ecological network structures of permaculture designs were modelled using network theory, general systems theory, and landscape ecology as theoretical foundations. Social network analysis was used as a tool to analyze the interconnectivity and multifucntional relationships of six component categories visualizing a complex web of relationships.

Network statistics and structures varied across twelve sites in the Philippines and key design components influencing food security were identified. Most notable were coconut trees, endemic bird species, aquaponics, and the preservation of indigenous knowledge. Results were made public using originally produces content via the video blog format on our YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Permaculture is about integrating different sustainable traditions, appropriate technology, and best practices and incorporating it into your own culture...your family culture, community culture...it's a new sustainable culture that uses technology to work with nature.