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permaculture - Re: Permaculture's purpose

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Subject: permaculture

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  • From: "Steve Diver" <steved@ncatark.uark.edu>
  • To: Elfpermacl@aol.com
  • Cc: permaculture@listserv.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Permaculture's purpose
  • Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 15:52:49 +0000

Dan Hemenway wrote:
> Sherry continues to be wrong about permaculture. Sustainable agriculture is
> an oxymoron. Bill said permaculture IS NOT sustainable agriculture in the
> first 15 minutes of the course I took in 1981 but seems to recanted now that
> SA has become a buzzword. Motivation? Ask B ill. However, since
> permaculutre is possible and sustainable agriculture isn't, I figure that
> they
> are roughly opposites.

Of course permaculture is not the same thing as sustainable
agriculture. But certainly permaculture is one of many models
that fall within the large umbrella of sustainable agriculture.
Likewise, you can also spin it the other way.... sustainable
agriculture is one part of permaculture as a whole.

It is an on-going thread in Dan's posts that "Sustainable agriculture
is an oxymoron."

It would be helpful to hear from Dan an explanation as
to where he is coming from on this.

Sustainable agriculture is a recognized movement with a long
history. It is a framework that scads of farmers and university
people and organizations work under.

Permaculture is not a production system, neither is sustainable
agriculture.

Personally I like the diagram Stuart Hill et al developed at
Ecological Agriculture Projects that shows a continuum
from conventional to low-input.... until way down the
line you get to permaculture at the far end of the scale,
showing stability and permanance, one of the most evolved
human created systems.

Steve Diver




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