The 12 Permaculture Principles

Permaculture, a term derived from “permanent agriculture” or “permanent culture,” is a holistic design system that strives to create sustainable and regenerative ecosystems. Developed by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970s, permaculture emphasises thoughtful and ethical design to meet human needs while restoring and enhancing the health of the environment. At the core of permaculture are the 12 principles, which provide a comprehensive guide for designing resilient and harmonious systems that mimic the patterns found in nature.

Observe and Interact #

The first principle encourages individuals to observe their surroundings and understand the relationships between elements in a system before taking any action. This principle emphasises the importance of thoughtful and patient observation to make informed decisions and design interventions that align with natural patterns.

In the context of social change, the Observation and Interaction principle serves as a guiding beacon for creating meaningful, sustainable impact, and grounded in systems thinking and design thinking it can make our social change interventions more effective in a number of ways:

1. Contextual Understanding: Observation stands as the precursor to informed action. In social change endeavours, this involves immersing oneself within communities or systems, actively listening, and comprehending the complexities, needs, and dynamics therein. Through careful observation, stakeholders gain crucial insights, identify patterns, and uncover latent opportunities or challenges for intervention.

2. Human-Centric Approach: Interaction, the complementary component, signifies the engagement and collaboration with stakeholders. It involves building trust, fostering relationships, and co-creating solutions rooted in community needs and aspirations. This collaborative approach ensures that initiatives are not imposed but co-designed with those they aim to benefit, thereby ensuring relevance and ownership within the community.

3. Systems Thinking and Iterative Design: By integrating systems thinking, Observation and Interaction encourage a comprehensive understanding of interconnected factors influencing social issues. This holistic view allows for the identification of leverage points—strategic areas where small changes can yield significant impact within the system. Moreover, it fosters iterative design processes, enabling adjustments and refinements based on continuous observation and feedback loops.

4. Sustainability and Adaptability: Through careful observation and ongoing interaction, social change initiatives become inherently adaptive and resilient. This approach acknowledges the dynamic nature of social systems and allows for the incorporation of adaptive strategies in response to evolving needs, ensuring long-term sustainability and effectiveness.

SWOT Analysis #

A SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) is a valuable tool for the initial stages of observation and interaction with a system because it provides a structured framework for assessing the internal and external factors that can influence the system.

Here’s how a SWOT analysis is useful during these stages:

1. Identification of Internal Factors (Strengths and Weaknesses):
   • Strengths: By identifying the strengths of a system, observers can recognise what is currently working well. This could include internal resources, capabilities, or positive aspects of the system that contribute to its effectiveness.
   • Weaknesses: Observing weaknesses helps in understanding areas of the system that may be vulnerable or in need of improvement. This could involve internal challenges, limitations, or aspects that hinder the system’s optimal performance.
2. Recognition of External Factors (Opportunities and Threats):
   • Opportunities: Identifying external opportunities involves observing and recognising favourable conditions, trends, or potential avenues for improvement in the external environment. It helps in understanding how the system can leverage these factors for positive outcomes.
   • Threats: Observing threats allows for the identification of external challenges, risks, or potential obstacles that may impact the system negatively. This awareness is crucial for developing strategies to mitigate or navigate these threats.

Observe & Interact in Design-Thinking #

Observation and interaction play pivotal roles throughout the entire design thinking process.

The key principles of design thinking include:

1. Empathy: Understanding the needs, perspectives, and experiences of the end-users is fundamental. Design thinkers immerse themselves in the user’s environment to gain a deep understanding of their challenges and aspirations.
2. Define: Clearly defining the problem is crucial. Design thinkers work to reframe and articulate the problem in a way that inspires innovative solutions. This stage involves synthesising insights gained from empathetic research.
3. Ideate: Generating a wide range of ideas without judgment is the ideation phase. Brainstorming sessions and other creative techniques are employed to encourage out-of-the-box thinking.
4. Prototype: Developing tangible representations of ideas allows for quick testing and iteration. Prototypes can be low-fidelity models or even simple sketches that help refine concepts.
5. Test: Iterative testing involves gathering feedback on prototypes from end-users. This feedback loop allows for further refinement and improvement of the design based on real-world insights.
6. Iterate: The process is cyclical, with continuous refinement based on testing and feedback. Iteration helps to progressively improve the solution and adapt to changing needs.

Design thinking is not a linear process; it is flexible and can involve moving back and forth between stages, and observation and interaction continue to play a central role throughout this process.

System Mapping #

System mapping is an observation tool to help you better understand the complex relationships and interactions within the system (your home) and the systems environment, and identify potential areas for improvement or intervention. To construct a simple systems-thinking system map, start by identifying the system boundary, which defines the limits of the system being analysed. Next, identify the subsystems within the boundary that contribute to the functioning of the system. For each subsystem, identify its components, which are the individual elements or processes that make up the subsystem. If you want, you can also connect the subsystems and their components using arrows or lines to represent the flow of inputs, outputs, and feedback between them. Construct a system map of your home, ensuring you include at minimum:

• The system boundary
• Key component in the wider environment
• Sub-systems within the system (eg: garden, water, waste, energy)
• Key components within these subsystems
• Arrows that show the connection or causal relationship between different components

It may be useful for you to begin to create a more detailed map of your permaculture project – regardless of the space you’re working in, it will fall into at least one of the 6 permaculture zones. The zones are organised into a hierarchy based on the intensity of human interaction and the distance from the home or centre of the system. Check out our guide to system mapping with the permaculture zones:

The Permaculture Zones: Applying Permaculture to ANY Space

Sun mapping is an observation exercise that you can carry out over the course of the year as the seasons change. By leveraging the energy of the sun you can design a garden that works with the orientation of the sun on your property, rather than trying to grow things that just aren’t suitable for your system. Check out our guide to sun mapping:

Harness the power of the Sun to maximise your permaculture garden

Catch and Store Energy #

Permaculture recognises the value of harnessing and storing energy efficiently. This principle encourages the collection and storage of resources, such as water, sunlight, and organic matter, to meet current and future needs. Systems designed with this principle in mind aim to optimise energy usage and reduce waste.

Obtain a Yield #

This principle emphasises the importance of obtaining useful outputs from a system. Permaculture design seeks to create productive systems that provide a variety of yields, such as food, fibre, fuel, and medicinal plants. Maximising the benefits derived from a system ensures its sustainability and usefulness.

Apply Self-Regulation and Accept Feedback #

Permaculture systems are designed to be self-regulating, with the capacity to adapt based on feedback from the environment. This principle encourages individuals to recognise and respond to feedback loops, fostering resilience and stability in the face of changing conditions.

Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services #

Permaculture promotes the use of renewable resources and the integration of natural services into design. By recognising the finite nature of non-renewable resources, permaculturists aim to create systems that rely on sustainable inputs and reduce environmental impact.

Produce No Waste #

The principle of “Produce No Waste” advocates for the efficient use of resources within a system. Permaculture design encourages recycling, reusing, and repurposing to minimise waste and create closed-loop systems that emulate natural cycles.

Design from Patterns to Details #

This principle encourages designers to first identify and understand the larger patterns present in a system before delving into specific details. By recognizing and working with natural patterns, permaculture design becomes more effective and harmonious.

Integrate Rather Than Segregate #

Permaculture emphasises the importance of creating integrated systems where the elements work together harmoniously. This principle seeks to connect different components to maximise the synergies between them, promoting diversity and resilience.

Use Small and Slow Solutions #

Permaculture encourages the implementation of small-scale, gradual solutions that are adaptable to specific contexts. This approach allows for careful observation and adjustment, avoiding unintended consequences associated with large-scale interventions.

Use and Value Diversity #

Diversity is celebrated in permaculture design as it enhances resilience and stability. This principle acknowledges that diverse systems are more adaptable to change and less susceptible to diseases or pests, fostering healthier and more productive environments.

Use Edges and Value the Marginal #

Permaculture recognises the importance of edges – the transition zones between different ecosystems. This principle encourages the utilisation of these areas, as they often exhibit increased diversity and productivity. Embracing marginal spaces enhances overall system functionality.

Creatively Use and Respond to Change #

Change is inevitable, and permaculture design aims to embrace it creatively. This principle encourages individuals to anticipate and adapt to changes, viewing them as opportunities for growth and improvement. Flexibility in design and management allows permaculture systems to thrive in dynamic environments.