An agroecological Europe by 2050 (report)

An agroecological Europe in 2050: multifunctional agriculture for healthy eating
This report explores the possibility of generalising agroecology to a European scale. An original quantitative model makes it possible to analyse retrospectively the functioning of the European food system and to quantify an agroecological scenario by 2050 by testing the implications of different hypotheses. The core scenario is based on the widespread adoption of agroecology, the phasing-out of vegetable protein imports and the adoption of healthier diets by 2050. Despite an induced drop in production of 35% compared to 2010, this scenario: - provides healthy food for Europeans while maintaining export capacity; - reduces Europe's global food footprint; - leads to a 40% reduction in GHG emissions from the agricultural sector; - regains biodiversity and conserves natural resources.

Agro-ecology and political transformation (journal)

From Transition to Domains of Transformation: Getting to Sustainable and Just Food Systems through Agroecology 

 

Agroecology has a fundamentally political dimension. It is based on an aspiration of producers and citizens to self-organize for sustainability and social justice. This review analyzes the enabling and disabling conditions that shape agroecology transformations and the ability of communities to self-organize. It develops the notion of ‘domains of transformation’ as overlapping and interconnected interfaces between agroecology and the incumbent dominant regime. We present six critical domains that are important in agroecological transformations: access to natural ecosystems; knowledge and culture; systems of exchange; networks; discourse; and gender and equity. The article focuses on the dynamics of power and governance, arguing that a shift from top down technocratic approaches to bottom up forms of governance based on community-self organization has the most potential for enabling transformation.

Nature-based solutions to climate change (pdf)

Compendium of Contributions: Nature-Based Solutions

In preparing for the 23 September 2019 Climate Action Summit called by the United Nations Secretary-General, the Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) Coalition put out a global call for initiatives on how NBS can be enhanced and scaled-up. More than 180 proposals were received and have been posted online in advance of the Summit.The purpose of this compendium is to share a summary of initiatives and best practices received from the global call. The NBS coalition co-leads, China and New Zealand, drew on the proposals to build the NBS for Climate Manifesto below in order to articulate the value and rationale for implementing NBS.

A permaculture interactive space (on-line)

The Lions' Gate: Towards a Permaculture-inspired Blended Space   

This paper presents The Lions' Gate - an in-development, urban, interactive permaculture project on-campus in Edinburgh, Scotland. We argue that to address limits to computing, a radical framework is needed. We position permaculture as an alternative to the economic growth model, and it's associated temporal controls. Our work is an attempt at shifting our thinking and doing by employing a blended spaces perspective to permaculture, university campuses and digital media. By starting from a permaculture view we have the ecological and ethical tools to practice alternatives to growth.

A radical critique of PDC pedagogy (#journal)

What’s wrong with permaculture design courses? Brazilian lessons for agroecological movement-building in Canada

The authors argue that PDC instruction remains deeply embedded within market and colonial relations, which orients the pedagogy of permaculture to reproduce the basic elements of the colonial capitalist economy among its practitioners. The paper highlights key elements of the agroecological pedagogy used by the Brazilian Landless Rural Workers Movement. The objective is to draw lessons from these inspiring experiences, and to critically assess the pedagogical practices presently informing permaculture communities in advanced industrialized countries. The key arguments and lessons drawn from the Brazilian pedagogical experiences are engagement and coalition-building with established rural and urban movements, as well as progressive farmer, indigenous, and rural associations to foster a just and sustainable transformation of agri-food systems.

Indian permaculture farm has high biodiversity (online)

Gauging the Effects of Sustainable Permaculture: a Biological Index of Sadhana Forest in Auroville, India

The study site was a 28.3 ha permaculture farm within a tropical dry evergreen forest. Authors performed a non-destructive biological inventory including point counts for birds, and leaf counts, sweep netting, and flying insect counts for invertebrates. We also recorded a cumulative count of all species throughout the study. We found that animals were detected significantly more in areas of the farm with higher percentages of native trees, for both invertebrates and birds. Leaf counts also had significantly greater abundance of invertebrates in areas with more native species. Our data also had a trend of higher average detections in native areas. Our research corroborates other studies, and will provide data that support forest restoration of native habitats through permaculture.

52climateactions.com

Permaculture Association Britain launches 52 Climate Actions

A website highlighting 52 simple actions people can take in their own lives to reduce their impact on climate change and reduce the impact climate change has on them. The 52 are divided into easy-to-follow themes such as food, transport, home etc.

We've chosen actions we think are both powerful and realistic for individuals and communities. We’ve tried to ensure they are up-beat, positive and fun (which is in contrast to a lot of communication about the climate). The actions fall into three categories: those to reduce your carbon footprint (mitigation); those to help you cope with the effects of climate change (adaptation); and those that aim to change your mindset (thinking differently).

Breathing life back into The Digest

Breathing life back into The Digest

It would be fair to say that the Permaculture Research Digest has been suffering a period of chronic neglect recently, with only 14 posts made in 2019!

This has not been intentional, but due to being very busy with other projects, chief among them our new website www.52climateactions.com. But it feels like it is now time to breath some life back into the Digest. There are now far more peer reviewed articles being published on permaculture than there were when we started back in 2012, not to mention on climate change, agro-ecoolgy, and new forms of economy, so it should be easier than ever to fill the Digest with high quality material that our readers will enjoy.

If you write something or find something you think will be of interest to the readership, please let me know, research@permaculture.org.uk. Likewise, if you have any feedback on The Digest or anything we publish, do drop me a line.

Evaluating the effects of integrating trees into temperate arable systems on pest control and pollination (Journal article)

Free full access to article until 26th October 2019 available here.

This review evaluates the effects of silvoarable systems on invertebrate pest control and pollination in temperate regions. The review includes published journal articles as well as unpublished theses and reports, and a few old Agroforestry Forum studies. The paper finds that, although individual studies sometimes vary widely in their findings, on average pest populations (excluding slugs) were reduced by 25%, and their predators and parasitoids increased by 24%, compared with monocropped arable. Both effects were statistically significant, but only when slugs were excluded. Studies of pollinators are scarcer, but show consistent positive effects of silvoarable. A substantial part of the review is devoted to identifying further research needs. 

The team are collecting further data so look for future updates too.