Development of sustainable agro practices using Permaculture as a model
Permaculture is a term used to describe an intentional system of agriculture and settlement that aims to reflect the interrelationships and sustainability of natural ecosystems. Permaculture is an attempt to best use land so that generations in the future can continue to make use of the land in productive manners, allowing for personal subsistence. It draws from several disciplines including organic farming, agroforestry, integrated farming, sustainable development, and applied ecology. At its most basic, permaculture is just a form of agriculture that can be practiced forever. High-density crops and the use of single crops over large expanses of lands strips away necessary nutrients as generations pass, eventually leaving the land barren.
At the same time, artificial fertilizers can build up salts over time, making the soil inhospitable to plants. Permaculture tries to look at a piece of land in a holistic manner, integrating every animal and plant living on it, and combining that with social structures designed to foster long-lasting agriculture as well. Communities are looking to permaculture as a way to ensure not only that the land they are on will remain healthy well into the future, but that their food supply will be sustained even through potential global crises.
