Permaculture is a system of design for sustainable human settlements that has its bases in the design of agroecological food production systems, since it states that it is not possible for a social order to exist without agriculture (Instituto de Investigación de Permacultura, s.f.).

It is a term coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the mid-1970s as spaces consciously designed to mimic the patterns and relationships found in nature, while producing abundant food and energy for the provision of local needs. The term as such is a compound word of “agriculture” and “permanent”, however, the term has evolved to refer to a permanent culture, since permaculture identifies people, their buildings and their ways of organizing as fundamental elements for the development of the culture (Holmgren, 2011).

As a solution to the inefficient exploitation of resources, the circular economy emerges, which is an economic model that approaches each production cycle with a systemic and regenerative approach, by identifying each of the resource flows that take part in a product. It offers governments and companies a path to resilient development that regenerates the natural ecosystem, optimizes the use of resources, minimizes risks by reducing dependence on finite primary resources and linear business models; enhancing competitiveness and well-being (SustainLuum, 2019).

Among the main objectives sought by the circular economy is the redesign of production and consumption systems, including agriculture, so that optimized processes are obtained in terms of materials and products, in which the matter is in a constant flow, eliminating the generation of waste.

Permaculture contemplates twelve design principles and it is necessary to consider them to develop a project under this system (Holmgren, 2011):

Permaculture is undoubtedly one of the tools that can help the economy take a step towards circular models. For this, we will review some of the cases of permaculture in Mexico and how they relate to the circular economy.

Some cases of Permaculture in Mexico

Las Cañadas – Bosque de niebla

This is an agroecology and permaculture center in the cloud forest of the central area of Veracruz and is one of the most recognized projects of permaculture in Mexico. It is currently managed by the “Cooperativa Las Cañadas” which is managed by 22 members.

One of its most important achievements is producing around 80% of the food consumed in the center and the restoration of 225 hectares of the cloud forest (Las Cañadas, s.f.)

Relationship with circular economy

• One of the practices that are constantly implemented in their food production systems is soil conservation, which allows maintaining the quality of an input necessary for agriculture.
• Bamboo plantations: One of the products generated is bamboo, which is planted, harvested and treated in the same place for use in construction. This reduces the impact derived from the transport of the material, has a lower environmental impact than other construction materials, and ensures that its production is carried out in an agro-ecological way.

Gaiasana

It is an organization dedicated to knowing and disseminating alternatives based on respect and understanding of nature. Currently it has been working for more than twelve years and they have implemented food production networks and a community market called “Mercado Verde la Obsidiana” in Huasca de Ocampo, Hidalgo, which is a major example of social organization.

The benefits of social organization have allowed merchants to have more communication and knowledge of their needs, this coupled with the reduction of labor costs, considering that the construction of the market was done with the same merchants through community work (tequio) (Zuu, 2020).

Relationship with circular economy

• Producers who sell in the market receive training related to agroecology, which allows them to have practices aimed at ecosystem restoration
• One of the actions implemented, not in the market, but in another of the Gaiasana spaces was the collection of organic waste from restaurants, which undergo a composting process. The product of this compost was used for soil improvement, so that waste is integrated into the value chain, avoiding waste.
• The construction of the market was made with materials from the region such as earth and wood, which reduces the carbon footprint related to the transport of materials. On the other hand, the materials can be easily reintegrated into the value chain after the life cycle of these constructions has finished, so that no waste is generated.

Omniunity A.C.

It is an international multidisciplinary alliance that focuses on ecological, productive, sustainable, regenerative and efficient solutions in the fields of Energy, Water, Housing and Agriculture. Throughout the 9 years of work they have been able to design and execute impact projects in different areas, mainly in Hidalgo.

At that time they developed the Johñe demonstration center for permaculture, which won a place among the five hundred best projects of the “Latinoamérica Verde” awards and currently serves as an educational space where courses and workshops related to permaculture and agroecology are taught (Acmed, 2020).

Relationship with circular economy

• Waste as by-products: All generated organic waste is kept in place so that it can be reintroduced to food production systems through composting
• Reduction of the carbon footprint: From 50% to 60% of the food that is distributed in its courses is produced on site, so the carbon footprint related to the transport of these foods is reduced and it is guaranteed that they have been produced with agroecological practices
• Dry toilets: This type of toilets allows the reintegration of the waste generated by the toilets to the ground through a special composting process. This means that a waste that had no value and that normally ends up deteriorating the quality of the water, can end up as an input for the food production process
• Chicken egg production: Through the comprehensive management of chickens, they provide nutrients through their residues such as chicken manure, in addition to eggs for consumption and other services, such as biological control, nitrogen integration and improvement in soil structure

Towards a regenerative culture

In 2009, the authors of the book “The regenerative enterprise”, Ethan Roland and Gregory Landua proposed that the enterprise is one of the forms of social organization that can have a high positive impact and that can direct society towards a regenerative economy. However, to achieve this they must have an outlook of all the resource flows that they posess through interpreting them as other forms of capital, and leaving aside the idea that companies only have to accumulate financial capital infinitely (Ethan Roland, 2015)

A similar idea is explored by Kate Raworth in her book Doughnut economics where she presents the idea that you cannot have infinite economic growth on a planet where resources are finite (Raworth, 2017).

A regenerative system considers models generated in nature, which can be replicated from an observation of the environment and by interacting with the same models existing near a project, as in the case of the wood production models of the ravines. A system with such a model can also integrate humans into natural processes rather than segregate them, so that humans are viewed as part of their environment and not as something external.

We have to move towards a regenerative culture and social innovation that allows us to integrate sustainability as a holistic system, since sustainability alone is not a sufficient system, because the resources on which we depend are strongly threatened, and it is not enough just to think about how to reduce the negative environmental impact, but now we have to think about how to increase the positive impact and create innovative solutions which manage to integrate social needs and the inclusion of key actors. In addition to environmental regeneration, there can be economic benefits for companies, since regenerative systems have less use of energy and material resources, which translates into economic savings.

It is at this point where the three spheres converge, regeneration, permaculture and the circular economy, offering companies and individuals the possibility of developing fully with a different approach to the current one, allowing harmonious coexistence with the environment, leaving aside the models of production and consumption that have generated the problems of pollution, social inequity and climate change that currently threaten the well-being of future generations.

The next step that companies will have to take in their strategies towards sustainability, given that they function as important agents of change and because at this moment everyone is moving towards that objective. So right now, as part of a company the big question you have to ask yourself is if your company will be competitive in a sustainable world? If it is perfect! But if it is not, it is time to analyze and identify how to direct it to a regenerative and circular system.