Permaculture Research PH: A Comprehensive Review of Permaculture Research Publications in the Philippines...after 10 Years of Research

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Permaculture Research PH is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. After a decade, I was wondering how our work has impacted the science and research community. I wasn't really expecting much, to be honest. But for the past several years we have been active in teaching, promoting, publishing, and presenting our work in webinars, conferences, and workshops. Somehow, I was hoping we would make a dent, at the very least.

So I asked Gemini AI to perform a deep research on permaculture research in the Philippines. It turns out that most, if not all, available research on permaculture in our country came from our team.

To some it may sound like a great accomplishment.

But for me, I wanted other teams to take ownership of their own permaculture research. We just laid down the foundation and compiled all the resources to make research possible, such as journal articles, book chapters, maps, bibliographies, photos and videos, etc. So they would not experience what we have been through. But it still wasn't enough to spark any academic interest.

I applaud (and pity) those who will research on this topic. This will probably be one of the most challenging things you will do in your research career, if ever you choose to study permaculture.

Anyway, here is the full result of Gemini AI's deep research on permaculture research in the Philippines.

- Jabez

I. Introduction: The Evolving Landscape of Permaculture Research in the Philippines

Permaculture, a portmanteau of "permanent agriculture" and "permanent culture," represents a regenerative design framework rooted in whole systems thinking, observation of natural patterns, and the application of ecological design principles. Its fundamental aim is to create sustainable and resilient human settlements and food systems. In the Philippine context, permaculture holds substantial relevance as the nation confronts critical challenges such as the impacts of climate change, persistent food insecurity, and widespread rural poverty. Research indicates that permaculture offers a holistic approach to addressing these issues by integrating sustainable agriculture practices, biodiversity conservation, and strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation.¹

This report endeavors to provide a comprehensive and meticulously compiled list of permaculture research publications specifically from the Philippines. A stringent criterion for inclusion is that the term "permaculture" must be explicitly present in the study or research title. The temporal scope of this investigation extends as far back as available indexed data permits. Beyond a mere listing, this report analyzes underlying trends, identifies key contributors, and discusses the thematic evolution within Philippine permaculture research, offering insights into the field's development and potential future directions.

The identification process for these publications primarily involved systematic searches across major academic databases and institutional repositories. Global platforms such as Google Scholar and ResearchGate proved highly effective in yielding direct results for "permaculture" in titles.³ Searches were also conducted on specific Philippine institutional repositories, including the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Library ³, Central Philippine University (CPU) BAHÁNDÌAN ⁶, and the Philippine Journal of Science (DOST).¹¹ Permaculture association websites and related conference proceedings were also reviewed to capture a broader spectrum of outputs.¹⁵

A notable observation from the search process is the temporal pattern of publications explicitly using "permaculture" in their titles. While the Philippine Permaculture Association (PPA) was established in 2000, indicating an organized movement and community of practice in the country for over two decades ¹⁶, the earliest identified publication with "permaculture" explicitly in its title dates back only to 2013 ²⁸, with the bulk of research emerging from 2017 onwards. This temporal discrepancy suggests that while permaculture principles or conceptually similar sustainable agriculture practices may have been researched or implemented in the Philippines prior to 2013, they were likely not formally labeled or indexed with the specific term "permaculture" in academic titles. This could be attributed to the gradual mainstreaming of the term within academic discourse, a shift in research focus to explicitly adopt permaculture as a distinct design system, or simply a lag in formal publication and indexing. This pattern implies that a strict title-based search for "permaculture" might inadvertently underestimate the historical depth of conceptually related research in the Philippines. For a more exhaustive historical understanding, future investigations might need to broaden their keyword searches to include allied terms such as "agroecology," "sustainable agriculture," "regenerative agriculture," or "indigenous farming practices," and then manually filter for conceptual alignment with permaculture principles. This also points to an evolving academic recognition and categorization of permaculture within the Philippine research landscape.

II. Comprehensive List of Permaculture Research Publications in the Philippines

This section presents the comprehensive list of permaculture research publications identified through the rigorous search process, adhering strictly to the requirement of "permaculture" being present in the title. The entries are presented chronologically to illustrate the evolution of the field. Each entry provides essential bibliographic details for easy reference and further investigation.

Table 1: Comprehensive List of Permaculture Research Publications in the Philippines (2013-2024)

Note: Publication years for some entries from Google Scholar profile ²⁸ are based on the earliest listed year for that specific publication. The "Unknown" type of publication for some Flores entries is inferred from the context of his other works being theses/dissertations, given the lack of specific journal or conference details in the provided data.

A review of the compiled list clearly shows a significant academic concentration on permaculture research originating from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). This is largely driven by the prolific output of Jabez Joshua M. Flores and his collaborators. Flores is identified as the primary author or co-author of nearly all identified publications with "permaculture" in their titles.² His affiliations are consistently linked to UPLB, specifically the School of Environmental Science and Management and the Institute of Biological Sciences.²⁴ While other prominent agricultural and environmental universities exist in the Philippines ³², and some maintain institutional repositories ⁶, direct searches for "permaculture" in the titles within these repositories (e.g., CPU's BAHÁNDÌAN) did not yield results.⁶ This pattern strongly suggests that UPLB, through the dedicated work of Flores and his team, serves as the most visible and active academic hub for explicitly titled permaculture research in the Philippines, at least based on the available data. For researchers and practitioners seeking to delve into the academic literature on permaculture in the Philippines, focusing on UPLB's publications and the works of Flores would provide the most direct and comprehensive entry point. This concentration could be a strength, indicating a focused and sustained research program, but it also raises questions about the breadth of academic engagement with permaculture across other Philippine higher education institutions. It implies that while permaculture is gaining traction, its formal academic documentation with specific keyword titles might still be centralized to a few pioneering research groups.

III. Analysis of Permaculture Research Trends and Key Contributors

The identified publications reveal several dominant research themes within Philippine permaculture studies, alongside key individuals and institutions shaping the field.

Dominant Research Themes

Permaculture Landscape Structure and Design: A substantial portion of the research focuses on characterizing the physical design elements and components of permaculture farms within the Philippine context. This includes studies on zoning patterns, the integration of diverse components, and detailed inventories of cultivated plant species. Examples include "The structure of permaculture landscapes in the Philippines" ²⁸ and "An Inventory of Commonly Cultivated Plant Species in Permaculture Farms in the Philippines".²⁸ This foundational work aims to understand how permaculture principles are manifested in real-world Philippine settings.
Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture Applications: A central and recurring theme is the direct application of permaculture principles to address food security challenges and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Publications explore how permaculture designs contribute to household food self-sufficiency and offer a viable alternative to conventional agriculture. Notable works include "Designing Food Security: The Applications of Permaculture in Sustainable Agriculture—Case Studies in the Philippines" ² and "Permaculture: Reimagining Agriculture in the Philippines".²⁸ This highlights permaculture's practical utility in a developing country context.
Social Networks and Practitioner Perspectives: Beyond the ecological and agricultural aspects, research also delves into the human and social dimensions of permaculture. Studies analyze the networks of permaculture practitioners, their interactions, and their evolving perspectives on permaculture design and its broader implications. Examples include "An Emerging Network for Sustainable Agriculture: A Social Network Analysis of Permaculture Practitioners in the Philippines" ¹⁹ and "Working with Nature: Practitioners' Perspectives on Permaculture Design in Agricultural Landscapes in the Philippines".²⁸ This indicates an academic recognition of the social movement aspect of permaculture.
Technological Integration for Documentation and Design: An emerging theme involves the innovative use of modern technology, such as drones, for documenting and analyzing permaculture farm landscapes. This demonstrates a blend of traditional ecological design with contemporary tools for research and practical application, as seen in "Documenting permaculture farm landscapes in the Philippines using a drone with a smartphone" and "Let's Democratize Drones!".²⁸

The identified publications demonstrate a holistic and interdisciplinary understanding of permaculture, encompassing ecological, social, and technological dimensions. The research is not limited to a single aspect of permaculture; it covers diverse areas such as the physical "landscape structure" ²⁸, the "social network analysis" of practitioners ¹⁹, the practical application for "food security" ², and the integration of "drones" for research.²⁸ This breadth reflects permaculture's inherent interdisciplinary nature, which extends beyond mere agricultural techniques to encompass community resilience, environmental stewardship, and technological innovation. The consistent exploration of these varied facets by the leading researchers indicates a comprehensive approach to understanding permaculture's multifaceted role in the Philippines. This multi-faceted research approach is crucial for permaculture's broader acceptance and integration into national sustainable development strategies. By providing evidence across ecological, social, and technological domains, the research is building a robust case for permaculture as a comprehensive solution framework, rather than just a niche farming method. This holistic perspective can inform policymakers and development agencies on the diverse benefits and potential applications of permaculture, fostering its wider adoption and support.

Key Researchers and Institutions

Jabez Joshua M. Flores: Dr. Flores stands out as the most prolific and central figure in permaculture research in the Philippines, authoring or co-authoring the majority of identified publications. His work spans various thematic areas, from foundational landscape analysis to social networks and broader applications.²
Inocencio E. Buot Jr.: A frequent collaborator with Dr. Flores, particularly on studies related to landscape structure and practitioner perspectives, indicating a strong research partnership.²⁸
University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB): This institution, through its School of Environmental Science and Management and Institute of Biological Sciences, is the predominant academic home for the identified permaculture research. Its strong focus on agriculture and environmental sciences makes it a natural fit for this field.²⁴
Philippine Permaculture Association (PPA): Although not a research institution in the traditional sense, the PPA plays a vital role as a catalyst for permaculture adoption and knowledge exchange. Its activities, such as organizing convergences and fostering a network of practitioners, directly contribute to the environment that generates academic interest and becomes a subject of study.¹⁵

Evolution of Research Focus

The trajectory of permaculture research in the Philippines, as evidenced by the publication years, appears to move from initial descriptive and foundational studies (e.g., characterizing landscapes and identifying practitioners in the mid-2010s) towards more in-depth analytical and applied research. More recent publications (e.g., 2020-2024) demonstrate a deepening understanding of permaculture's systemic impacts, exploring its contributions to national development goals such as food security, climate change adaptation, and community resilience. The 2024 article "Permaculture: Reimagining Agriculture in the Philippines" ³⁰ suggests a forward-looking perspective, hinting at policy relevance and broader integration.

Table 2: Thematic Distribution of Permaculture Research in the Philippines (Approximate Counts)

Primary Research Theme	Number of Publications	Representative Publications (Titles)
Permaculture Landscape Structure and Design	3	"The structure of permaculture landscapes in the Philippines," "Documenting permaculture farm landscapes in the Philippines using a drone with a smartphone," "PERMACULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES: LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE, PRACTICES, AND PERSPECTIVES"
Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture Applications	3	"Designing Food Security: The Applications of Permaculture in Sustainable Agriculture—Case Studies in the Philippines," "Cultivating a food forest: Bohol [Philippines] permaculture farm produces award-winning tablea," "Permaculture: Reimagining Agriculture in the Philippines"
Social Networks and Practitioner Perspectives	2	"Creating virtual corridors: social network discovery and landscape patch connectivity of permaculture projects and initiatives on Facebook," "An Emerging Network for Sustainable Agriculture: A Social Network Analysis of Permaculture Practitioners in the Philippines," "Working with Nature: Practitioners' Perspectives on Permaculture Design in Agricultural Landscapes in the Philippines"
Technology in Permaculture Research	2	"Let's Democratize Drones! Using the Ryze Tello Drone as a Tool for Ecological Farm Design & Landscape Ecology Research," "Documenting permaculture farm landscapes in the Philippines using a drone with a smartphone"
Plant Biodiversity and Inventory	1	"An Inventory of Commonly Cultivated Plant Species in Permaculture Farms in the Philippines"
Population Modeling (with Permaculture link)	1	"A numerical model of Philippine population growth: child policy, quantitative insights and challenges"
Permaculture Design Systems	1	"The Permaculture Design System: A Landscape Management Strategy for Sustainable Food Production"

IV. Challenges and Opportunities in Accessing Philippine Permaculture Research

Accessing a comprehensive body of permaculture research in the Philippines presents several challenges, primarily related to the discoverability and indexing of academic outputs. However, these challenges also highlight significant opportunities for improvement.

Accessibility Limitations

A significant challenge observed was the disparity in search results across different platforms. While global academic search engines like Google Scholar and ResearchGate proved highly effective in identifying publications with "permaculture" in their titles ³, direct searches on some prominent Philippine institutional repositories, such as Central Philippine University's BAHÁNDÌAN ⁶ and the Philippine Journal of Science (DOST) ¹¹, yielded very few or no explicit "permaculture" titles. This suggests inconsistent use of "permaculture" as a primary keyword in titles or metadata, or less comprehensive indexing within some local databases. For instance, the Philippine Journal of Science website, a key national scientific publication, was noted as inaccessible for direct search functionality during the research process.¹² This technical barrier significantly impedes discoverability and access to potentially relevant research. Furthermore, even within a seemingly relevant UPLB bibliography PDF, an initial assessment indicated no "permaculture" titles, but a more meticulous review uncovered one entry ("Cultivating a food forest: Bohol [Philippines] permaculture farm produces award-winning tablea," ⁴), highlighting the need for highly precise search strategies and manual verification, or the possibility that "permaculture" might be embedded in the context rather than explicitly in the title.

The observed disparity in search results between global academic platforms and local institutional repositories indicates a critical challenge in knowledge dissemination within the Philippine academic landscape for specialized fields like permaculture. The ability to identify multiple "permaculture" titled publications through Google Scholar and ResearchGate ³ stands in stark contrast to the limited or absent results from direct searches on major Philippine university repositories (CPU ⁶) and the technical issues encountered with the Philippine Journal of Science.¹² This pattern suggests that while Filipino researchers are actively contributing to permaculture literature, their work might be more easily discoverable through international indexing services than through national academic portals. This could be due to a combination of factors, including the indexing policies of local repositories, the specific keywords used by authors, or the technical capabilities of the search interfaces. This fragmented discoverability poses a significant barrier for local researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who rely on readily accessible national studies for their work. It could lead to missed opportunities for evidence-based practice, hinder the integration of local research into national development plans, and potentially result in redundant research efforts. Ultimately, it underscores a pressing need for enhanced digital infrastructure, standardized indexing practices, and improved technical functionality within the Philippine academic system to bolster the visibility and impact of locally produced research, particularly in niche but critical areas like permaculture.

Opportunities for Enhanced Discoverability

To address these limitations, several opportunities for enhanced discoverability exist. The establishment or enhancement of a unified, comprehensive, and consistently indexed national research repository for sustainable agriculture and environmental studies could significantly improve the discoverability of specialized fields like permaculture. This would consolidate research from various institutions into a single, easily searchable platform. Furthermore, promoting and enforcing standardized practices for metadata tagging and keyword usage among researchers and institutional librarians would enhance searchability. Encouraging the explicit use of "permaculture" in titles, abstracts, and keywords where relevant would make these studies more readily identifiable. Lastly, leveraging the networks and knowledge of organizations like the Philippine Permaculture Association (PPA) ¹⁶ could help identify and document research, including grey literature, conference proceedings, or community-based reports that may not be formally indexed in academic databases. The PPA's existing links with universities, such as Isabela State University and UP Open University ¹⁶, provide a foundational framework for such collaborative initiatives.

V. Conclusion: Advancing Permaculture Knowledge and Practice in the Philippines

This report has identified a growing, albeit concentrated, body of permaculture research publications in the Philippines, predominantly spearheaded by the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) and the significant contributions of researchers like Jabez Joshua M. Flores. The thematic focus of this research has evolved from foundational characterization of permaculture landscapes and practitioner networks to more applied investigations into permaculture's role in achieving food security, fostering sustainable agriculture, and integrating modern technologies. Beyond academic publications, there is evidence of permaculture's practical application in the Philippines, as highlighted by articles on successful permaculture farms, indicating a bridge between theory and on-the-ground implementation.

To further enrich the understanding and application of permaculture in the Philippines, future research could explore the long-term economic viability and scalability of permaculture farms across diverse Philippine ecoregions, moving beyond case studies to broader economic impact assessments.¹ Studies on the policy frameworks and governance structures that could best support the widespread adoption and mainstreaming of permaculture principles within national agricultural and environmental policies are crucial. Further interdisciplinary research is needed to bridge the gap between formal academic knowledge and the rich traditional and indigenous farming practices that inherently embody permaculture principles, ensuring that research is culturally relevant and context-specific.¹

To enhance the impact of this vital research, it is imperative to invest in and improve national academic infrastructure for the indexing, archiving, and discoverability of specialized research. This includes upgrading institutional repository search functionalities and promoting consistent metadata standards. Continued and strengthened collaboration among academic institutions, relevant government agencies (such as the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources ¹), and permaculture associations (PPA) is essential to foster a more integrated research-to-practice ecosystem. Finally, efforts should be made to translate complex research findings into accessible formats and disseminate them widely to farmers, local communities, and extension workers, ensuring that academic insights directly contribute to on-the-ground permaculture practice and national development goals.

Monday, June 2, 2025

A Comprehensive Review of Permaculture Research Publications in the Philippines...after 10 Years of Research