Mainstreaming agro-ecological innovation in Europe (journal)

Linkage processes between niche and regime: an analysis of Learning

and Innovation Networks for Sustainable Agriculture across Europe

This paper reveals the linkage processes that connect innovation networks in sustainable agriculture to elements of the mainstream agricultural regime. It draws on findings from analysis of 17 Learning and Innovation Networks for Sustainable Agriculture (LINSA) in the EU. The LINSA examined represent networks of actors engaged in: agricultural food production, alternative food marketing, urban food systems, care farming and farm energy production. The notion of compatibility and linkage at the macro level structures provides a framework in which to examine the linkage processes that enable LINSA to adapt and the regime to accommodate them. Five modes of interaction with the regime are distinguished: Compatible; Complementary; Emergent; Divergent; and Oppositional. The study reveals the dynamic and complex nature of both the LINSA and the regime entities and their interactions and the range of linkage processes that enable LINSAs to adapt and the regime to accommodate them.

Neoarcology: permaculture, aquaponics and arcology (book)

Neoarcology: True Sustainability through the application of permaculture, aquaponics and arcology

By 2030 5 BILLION people, three out of five people, will live in cities. By then, over 2 BILLION people in the world will be living in slums, and Asia alone will have at least 10 megacities with populations over 25 MILLION. How do we keep this Urban Devastation from depleting our planet of it's natural resources? How do we slow the razing of thriving ecosystems and stop the cold, soulless, megalopolis of the future? This is what the Science of NEOARCOLOGY seeks to do. It combines three proven scientific disciplines of Permaculture, Aquaponics, and Arcology, to provide for this inexorable expansion of the human machine, while curtailing our destructive footprint on the world around us.

Permaculture in Serbia (journal)

The Role of Organic Production and Permaculture in Ensuring Economic Efficiency of Agroeconomy of Serbia

Consumer awareness of the necessity of eating and living healthy has become an indisputable issue. Organic farming effectively solves the problem of food quality and safety for human and animal consumption, respecting the natural ecological balance. Investment in the development of organic farming on the principles of permaculture is of permanent significance because they serve as the basis of efficient conservation of biodiversity and survival of humanity. Organic farming and permaculture are focused on the future and the development, not only in terms of environmental protection and improvement of human health, but also from the standpoint of economic prosperity.

Online plant guild composer (journal)

Plant guild composer: an interactive online system to support back yard food production

Motivated by climate change and food insecurity in the U.S., the authors built a prototype of an online computer aided design tool to support the design and creation of back yard agricultural ecosystems. The goal of the project is to help people grow their own food. The demonstration at CHI 2014 highlights the full interaction flow of the user experience.

Best fruit varieties for urban permaculture (journal)

SUITABILITY FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE AND PERMACULTURE OF SOME BIOTYPES AND NEW VARIETIES OF SPECIES WITH SANOGENE CHARACTERISTICS AND QUALITIES

 Multidisciplinary research in Budapest investigated a number perennial fruit varieties that that can be grown in urban and suburban gardens. Varieties of blackcurrant, red currant, wolfberry and apricot were investigated and the best varieties selected on the basis of earliness of fruiting, production obtained in ecological conditions, low to medium volume of shrubs and trees, plant density per unit area, self compatibility and quality and organoleptic characteristics, biochemical and sanogene of fruits. Recommended varieties are: Deea, Elita 124 and Roxia (black currant); Rolan, Jh. Van Tets (red currant); V2 biotype (wolfberry); and Rares, Valeria, Carmela, Viorica, Bucovina, Ilinca (apricot).

Alchemical permaculture (online)

Alchemical permaculture: Polishing the mirror between land and steward

This dissertation introduces the idea of alchemical permaculture: a new field that integrates ecopsychology, permaculture, and Jung's interpretation of alchemy—three areas of study and practice concerned with the transformative relationship(s) between planet Earth and its humans. An interdisciplinary approach to the research suggests that permaculture can become ecopsychological praxis if it is situated within the mythopoeic context of Jung's interpretation of alchemy. In addition to creating a very practical application of ecopsychology the conception of alchemy is dreamt onward, finding contemporary ecopsychological expression through permaculture landscape design.

Permaculture science, holism and reductionsim (online)

Of holism and reductionism: Permaculture & the Science of Hunches

Permaculture emphasizes holism. It addresses problems through wider relationships and patterns scaled at different system levels, avoiding the reductionism that isolates a problem within a specific sub-system of the wider whole. The science from which it draws most inspiration is ecology, the biological discipline of relationships, systems, and levels. Yet this article focuses on some tensions between permaculture as an holistic practice and ecology as a reductionist science. It makes a reductionist biological critique of some aspects of permaculture’s holism, but also a holistic critique of certain forms of scientific reductionism. The result will be some pointers toward improving permaculture’s scientific grounding, without losing the movement’s wider insights. Or to put it another way, sometimes it’s good to be holistic, whereas at other times a bit of reductionism fits the bill.