permaculture

["Henne, Adam" <hennea@highbridgelife.org>]

I've found a good resource relevant to the discussion about measuring yield
for the purpose of impressing development agencies.  The Worldwatch
Institute 2002 _State of the World_ publication has an extensive chapter
called "Farming in the Public Interest" that addresses the various concerns
of soil runoff and degradation, water pollution, biodiversity loss,
biotechnology etc.  They do discuss some of the agroecological alternatives
in some detail -- never mentioning permaculture as such.  However, they
mention agroforestry, IPM, no-till, xeriscapy, and "regenerative food
systems," with data and information on UN programs sponsoring such methods.
I haven't checked the website, but I imagine information, or the book
itself, is available at www.worldwatch.org.  

adam