Permaculture: Contributions to Building a Sustainable, Equitable, and Solidary Economic Development Model

Abstract

With the exploitation of oil, our planet entered an era of cheap energy that led to unrestrained consumerism, with resulting impacts on the environment. Given the damage this resource is causing and its gradually rising cost, we face the challenge of beginning a transition toward a post-oil economy and society, in which community development is based on energy and food autonomy. This implies a radical transformation toward a culture of sustainability and life. This is what permaculture proposes, through the redesign of our lifestyles following the patterns and interrelationships found in nature, grounded in respect for the planet and all the beings that inhabit it. Based on these ethical principles, permaculture guides the design of numerous initiatives in rural, urban, and suburban areas, including organic agriculture projects, recycling, energy conservation, and sustainable housing construction, all grounded in respect for life in all its forms.