THE APPLICATIONS OF PERMACULTURE IN
SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURE—
CASE STUDIES
IN THE PHILIPPINES
Food security is a multidimensional
issue that encompasses agriculture, human nutrition, and public health as well as
economics and governance. In a survey conducted in the Philippines by the World
Food Program in 2015, the main reasons for food insecurity were low income and
the absence of a stable job. Other reasons include climate change-related
calamities that caused damage to crops and infrastructures.
Permaculture is a design-based
solution that can address food insecurity in the Philippines. It is a
regenerative design framework based on whole systems thinking, observation of
natural patterns, creative use of multifunctional components, biomimicry, and the
application of ecological design principles in, but not limited to, the
management of food systems. Permaculture designs around the world vary in appearance
and in scale, from a single household to an entire community, yet all designs
emphasize the use of locally available resources (natural and social capital)
to create resilient and sustainable living systems that are food secure.
Strong social networks and the
internet have played a significant role in permaculture information
dissemination and the promotion of permaculture design courses (PDCs). In a
study published by Ferguson and Lovell in 2013, the practice of permaculture
has been observed to spread fast internationally in recent years. But unlike in
other countries, permaculture has never been formally studied in the
Philippines. Today, the largest gap in Philippine permaculture research is the
lack of data on the location and status of local permaculture projects. In this
regard, scientific research is needed to justify the adoption of permaculture design
in local food production systems as a practical means to achieve food security.
Significance
of the Study
As a holistic design framework,
permaculture incorporates achieving food security with sustainable agriculture
practices, biodiversity conservation, resilience, climate change adaptation and
mitigation as well as strengthening the social fabric in rural and urban
communities. Conducting permaculture research will help address national
priorities such as Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), Aichi Target 7
(sustainable management of agriculture, aquaculture, and forestry to ensure
biodiversity conservation), and sustainable agriculture and rural development
goals. The study will be the first comprehensive scholarly work in the
Philippines to investigate, evaluate, and compare the current status of
permaculture projects across the county. The results of the study can be used
as an extensive source of data for future research on food security, sustainable
agriculture, and permaculture.
Objectives of the Study
The
general objectives of the study are to gather baseline data on the multiple functions
of permaculture design system components and to determine how its practitioners
and stakeholders evaluate their personal food security status in relation to
their permaculture design.
The
research will be divided into four phases each addressing a specific objective:
1)
to identify permaculture designers all over the country and
create a database of their respective project sites;
2)
to profile permaculture sites and create a comprehensive
inventory of local permaculture designs and the key system components interacting
within its system;
3)
to
determine the food security status of individuals in permaculture sites in
relation to the design of key system components;
4)
and
to mainstream the permaculture design concept for food security and sustainable
development via new media.
I will be starting Phase 1 of the research this June. If you can refer to me any Philippine-based permaculture practioners/designers, please let me know by sending me an e-mail at jabezjoshuaflores@gmail.com. Thank you!
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