Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - Re: [permaculture] A critique of permaculture

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Toby Hemenway <toby@patternliteracy.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] A critique of permaculture
  • Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2013 09:28:09 -0800

On Dec 29, 2013, at 8:41 AM, Thomas Paul Jahn wrote:

> I would go that far to say, the important questions don't ask for numbers.
>
> As I understand Fukuoka: this is what he tried to elaborate on in his book
> "the natural way of farming", by addressing the scientists among us.
> But more importantly he says, 'natural farming is the perfection of human
> being' addressing our spiritual side, that doesn't ask about number to
> start with.

To someone who is hungry, the only important question is, "Where can I get
some food?" Meeting basic needs has to come first, and it means growing real
food--getting the numbers up. When their kids are not dying, then they may
have time to ask spiritual questions.

I agree with you that the spiritual side of permaculture, and of all human
activities, is what makes it all worth doing. The author's point here is that
there are many permaculturists (and I have seen plenty) who have fooled
themselves into thinking that they have created a highly productive system
that provides for many of their needs, yet in truth they are purchasing most
of their food and other goods from the store. There's a form of denial going
on there, masked by a quasi-spiritual "I'm living in harmony with nature
because I've got an herb spiral" attitude that is damaging both to the planet
and to permaculture's potential to reach people. At some point, somebody has
got to be growing enough food to feed people.

I'm curious to know how many people are feeding themselves--really meeting
caloric and nutritional needs--via Fukuoka's methods.

In the end, even for us rich people with food in the pantry, numbers matter,
because the less food that we grow in ecologically sound ways--especially if
we're in denial about how little we're growing--the more is grown via
industrial ag.

Toby
http://patternliteracy.com





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page