PERMACULTURE

The term 'permaculture', derived from 'permanent agriculture' or 'permanent culture', was coined in 1978 by Australian ecologist Bill Mollison and his student David Holmgren. Permaculture is a way of designing sustainable ecological human habitats and food production systems so that resources are not polluted or exploited and more energy is created than consumed. As Mollison puts it, permaculture is “living on the 'interest' of our natural resources”. Although food production is one of its central themes, it is also about energy-efficient buildings, waste water treatment, recycling and land conservation. Its design principles mimic nature, giving high yields for low energy inputs, and apply equally to urban and rural dwellers. “Permaculture offers a radical approach to food production and urban renewal, water, energy and pollution”, says Mollison. “It integrates ecology, landscape, organic gardening, architecture and agro-forestry in creating a rich and sustainable way of living. Food and Trees for Africa SA’s first and only national non-profit greening NGO was formed in 1990 by a group of individuals who realised that the country’s environmental challenges were far greater than saving endangered animals.

Gardens for hunger and healing By Philippa Garson When volunteers from Thuthukani clinic in Ivory Park, north of Johannesburg, began doing home visits to administer medicine to people suffering from Aids and TB, they found that most of them had no food. The volunteers then came up with the idea of a food garden, and sought assistance from the City of Johannesburg’s Social Development Services for materials and technical support. Last year, Food and Trees for Africa came on board, providing permaculture training for the food garden. Funding was supplied by the New Zealand High Commission. Now Thuthukani clinic has a thriving garden with vegetables in abundance and plenty of fruit trees. The garden yields enough food to feed hungry and sick patients and the volunteers themselves (who are all unemployed), and to sell to members of the Ivory Park community. Says Ndaba Mkwanazi, an assistant social developer with the City of Johannesburg’s Region Two: “With the permaculture method taught by Food and Trees for Africa, we don’t use chemicals or insecticides. We use organic fertiliser. It is much safer for the ground, the environment and the produce itself, which has no added chemicals.” The garden is progressing well. Herbs and fruit trees have been introduced, and a nursery to sell garden produce to the Ivory Park community is being developed. According to Mkwanazi, “the volunteers are generating some income as a group. They have even opened a bank account. They are managing to sustain the project. They can buy the resources they need, such as seeds.” Chairperson of the project Jane Nkosi, a previously unemployed Ivory Park resident and volunteer worker at Thuthukani clinic, is enthusiastic about the project’s successes: “This project is helping the community so much. The needy people are now getting something to eat.” She too has reaped the benefits of having something worthwhile to do. While it’s not a properly paying job for her, it’s an activity that generates some income for her and her helpers when emergencies arise. There’s also plenty of healthy food for both volunteers and their patients to eat. Nkosi says the volunteers now know enough to pass on their gardening skills as well as medications to the sick people they visit. “We’re encouraging our patients to make themselves gardens at home too.” Many of the patients have now come on board to help. Instead of lying around depressed at home, they come to dirty their hands in the garden, where they get fresh air and gentle exercise. Mkwanazi believes that the project, when fully developed, will be “a fine example of sustainable development”. Click here for more features on the World Summit Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400