Veganic Permaculture
Permaculture is a design system that seeks to mimic the patterns and relationships found in nature to create more sustainable, resilient, and regenerative ways of living. Permaculture is guided by three central ethics: care for the earth, which emphasizes protecting and conserving natural resources and habitats; care for people, which seeks to ensure people’s needs are met in sustainable and compassionate ways; and fair share, which strives for the equitable distribution of resources while avoiding waste and excessive consumption.
Veganic permaculture takes this approach a step further by designing systems that avoid animal-derived inputs and animal exploitation. At its heart, veganic permaculture is about creating healthy, self-sustaining ecosystems that support people, plants, soil, and wildlife with minimal ecological disturbances and harm to animals.
Veganic permaculture is also a way of thinking about how we live. It asks us to consider how our choices affect the wider ecosystems we depend on and how we can reduce waste while creating mutually beneficial relationships. Grounded in vegan ethics, it challenges the use and exploitation of animals and questions unjust practices such as the enslavement of free beings for human purposes, agricultural or otherwise.
Working with nature
Healthy ecosystems are built through relationships. Plants capture energy from the sun, roots interact with microorganisms, fallen leaves return nutrients to the soil, and diverse plant communities provide habitat for countless organisms. Veganic permaculture seeks to encourage these natural cycles. Instead of depending on external animal-based fertilizers, fertility can be built through practices such as composting plant materials, growing cover crops, mulching, incorporating nitrogen-fixing plants, and keeping living roots in the soil.
Traditional permaculture often discusses the use of domesticated animals, such as sheep or chickens, within systems for fertility and pest control. Veganic permaculture, however, advocates for systems that encourage biodiversity and ecosystem function without using and exploiting animals. Instead systems can be designed to provide habitat and employ practices that support free-living animals. Creating pollinator habitat, establishing wildlife hedgerows, and avoiding the use of synthetic pesticides can all help encourage a diverse and healthy ecosystem.
While mitigating reliance on external resources and creating a more closed-loop, self-sustaining system is an important goal, external sources of fertility may sometimes be necessay. If your soil is severely depleted, you are just starting out and have limited access to organic materials, or your production method is more intensive, you may need to supplement with fertilizers. A range of veganic fertilizers are available, including plant-based and minerals sources.
