This year has brought in so many changes: with the way we think, we spend, we work. Why not consider working towards conserving our soil? It is the base for all our growth anyway right. Not long ago, I got my eyes checked again; what with being on the computer relentlessly, typing like a maniac (because, lockdown, of course!). My doctor, the cheeky guy, tells me that I have an increased close-range eye power – a new pair of glasses sorted this out for me.
You know the funny part? He explained it in the most novel manner I have ever seen. Humans were created to farm and hunt. Our eyes were made for farming – looking close and near, at fresh air, the sun, the green all around. It is what keeps us healthy. This got me thinking: is farming really that important to human existence?
Farming is one of the most essential functions of our world. It is what gives us our food, many their livelihood, a foundation for the soil on this Earth to flourish. The agriculture industry, whether in India, or any other part of the world, continues to evolve and improve. Technology, policy & sustainability, are the keywords to look out for when it comes to farming – whether traditional, or modern.
In India, our food industry is one of the most thriving businesses – our roti & chawal creators up North and down South are to thank here. There are at least 100 million individuals that are involved in farming businesses pan-India. What we forget in the burst for evolution is just how simple farming is in India – we still have bullock carts with handmade implements, seed preservation that happens in bamboo baskets, the essential use of dung as manure – simplicity has its benefits too. Ask Naturopathy about this one.
Another situation that arises in India is the fact that many farmers grow staples – but most of them, for self-consumption. In my world, this is lovely. It is the starting point of self-sustenance, of self-dependence and self-reliance.
I do believe 2019 onwards there have been changes for the farming industry, with new policies, investors, interest-takers in organic farming and traditional but made a new methods. One such method is Permaculture – the quick fix for small-scale farming grounds; a blueprint for our existence, a simple method that offers a range of practical solutions that we can use in every area of our lives.
Sustainability is the need of the hour, and permaculture allows this well. It is essentially, the growth of ecosystems in a self-sufficient and sustainable manner, like developing synergetic farming systems after analysing crop diversity, resilience, natural productivity and its capability to sustain; zero chemicals, all heart and soul (and some natural food too).
Introduced by Bill Mollison in 1986, after which he kept returning to hold workshops and courses to teach farmers Permaculture – its art, its applications and its benefits, through activities like rainwater harvesting, biomass generation, organic waste recycling, composting and soil conservation among others. Essentially, permaculture stands as being a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature. Thoughtfully observant; rather than thoughtlessly laboring.
The principles in brief are:
- Observe & Interact – simply look at nature’s way and adapt sustainably
- Catch & Store – abundant energy can be harvested in renewable ways
- Obtain a Yield – you feed your family, but with sustainability you feed your soul
- Self-Regulation & Feedback – find faults and ways to improve by reflecting on your processes
- Use of & Value of Renewable Sources – Sun, Wind, Water; harvest smartly
- Remove Waste – Zero waste, recycling systems, composting
- Design from Pattern to Details – bird’s eye view before beginning; food forests are a good way to begin. Farms of various fruits and vegetables – in the long run, good for the soil, good for your soul and good for your belly!
- Integrate, Not Segregate – Essentially, let processes mingle, work together; don’t let them sit independently.
- Use Small, Slow Solutions – The devil is in the details, and the simpler your way of handling, the better the outcome. For example, begin by planting a few trees, not an entire farm. Little by little can create an ecosystem in itself!
- Use & Value Diversity – Just like a rainforest functions perfectly when a variety of processes are in line with each other, so will your ecosystem. Work towards managing various types of plants and animals in a healthy & organic environment.
- Use Edges & Value the Marginal – You have a balcony which holds your table, chair and perhaps a swing. There are unused corners too. Make your vegetable garden, or a herb farm in these corners. The value of using spaces, as tiny as can be, for growth is a process to learn.
- Creatively Use & Respond to Change – when seasons change, we as humans, adapt. Similarly, use these to benefit your ecosystems – plants per season is the way to go!
Instead of being a single product system, each element of nature was considered independent of each other, each with its own functions and benefits. Ecosystems that mimic nature; imagine a forest, every element is dependent on the other, but has its own functions at the end. Using the codes and ethics of permaculture, to design your ecosystems is what the study is all about. There is no hard and fast rule that says you only have to follow this or nothing. It is about A+B or C+D or simply A+B+C depending on your environment and what you expect from it.
Permaculture offers a ray of hope – a way onward. It offers us a chance to be part of a transition, a shift to a more eco-friendly and sustainable future in an ethical and judicious manner, with variety, ideas and innovation.
It teaches you about social responsibility, a mannerism we need to imbibe now more than ever. Transformative, when applied correctly, and futuristic when continued, this form of agriculture follows three main ethical principles: Earth Care, People Care and Fair Share. Earth, being a significance and consideration of earth as a basis for human wellbeing. People, being the needs of having access to resources (but now, in a sustainable manner) for their livelihood, and fair share meaning the distribution of resources among the various elements in a judicious and equal manner.
The collaboration of all three principles is carried out with various agri-conscious methods, tricks and processes; a careful today, for a million tomorrows taken care of. A sustenance for the future.
In the wise words of Toby Hemenway, ‘Permaculture gives us a toolkit for moving from a culture of fear and scarcity, to one of love and abundance’, which is true in many ways. So why not start now? The world is waiting for your action!
Written By Anisha Masand
Week 41, October ’20
