Green Dean’s Blog

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Ethics are moral beliefs and action in relation to survival on our planet. In permaculture, we embrace a threefold ethic: care of the earth, care of people and dispersal of surplus time, money and materials towards these things.

Care of the earth means care of all living and non-living things: soil, species and their varieties, atmosphere, forests, microhabitats, animals and waters. It implies harmless and rehabilitative activities, active conservation, ethical and frugal use of resources and ‘right livelihood’ (working for useful and beneficial systems).

Care of the earth also implies care of people, so that our basic needs for food, shelter, education, satisfying employment and convivial human contact are taken care of. Care of people in important, for even though people make up only a small part of total living systems of the world, we make a decisive impact on it. If we can provide for our basic needs, we need not indulge in broadscale destructive practices against the earth.

Contribution of surplus time, money and energy to achieve the aims of earth and people care. This means that after we have taken care of our basics needs and designed our systems to the best of our ability, we can extend our influence and energies to helping others achieve that aim.

The permaculture system also has a basic life ethic, which recognizes the intrinsic worth of every living thing. A tree is something of value in itself, even if it has no commercial value for us. That it is alive and functioning is what is important. It is doing its part in nature: recycling biomass, providing oxygen and carbon dioxide for the region, sheltering small animals, building soils and so on.

So we see that the permaculture ethic pervades all aspects of environmental, community and economical systems. Cooperation, not competition, is the key.

by Bill Mollison

Ways we can implement these earth care ethics in our own lives include:

  • Think about the long term consequences of your actions. Plan for sustainability.
  • Where possible, use species native to the area, or those naturalized species known to be beneficial. The thoughtless introduction of potentially invasive species may upset natural balances in your home area.
  • Cultivate the smallest possible land area. Plan for small-scale, energy-efficient intensive systems rather than large-scale, energy-consuming extensive systems.
  • Be diverse, poly-cultural – as opposed to mono-cultural. This provides stability and helps us to be ready for change, whether environmental or social.
  • Increase the sum of yields: look at the total yield of a system provided by annuals, perennials, crops, trees and animals. Also regard energy saved as a yield.
  • Use low-energy environmental (solar, wind and water) and biological (plant and animal) systems to conserve and generate energy.
  • Bring food-growing back into the cities and towns, where it has always traditionally been in sustainable societies.
  • Assist people to become self-reliant and promote community responsibility.
  • Re-afforest the earth and restore fertility to the soil.
  • Use everything at its optimum level and recycle all wastes.
  • See solutions, not problems.
  • Work where it counts – plant a tree where it will survive; assist people who want to learn.

by Bill Mollison

If you would like to know more about permaculture, please join our Introduction to Permaculture Workshop. Check our What's On? calendar for details of the next workshop.

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What is Australian Certified Organic?

It’s your guarantee of integrity. Organic products are grown and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals, fertilizers or GMO’s. They are assessed against a strict set of Organic Standards, which requires the ingredients in foods and drinks to be verified as organic, before a product can be labelled and sold as certified organic.

How can you be sure it’s genuine?

The only way to ensure you are purchasing genuine organic products is to check for a certification logo. When you see a certification number and logo, you know that there is a seamless chain of information about every step of the life of that product – from farm to fork.

Do organic foods taste better?

Grown naturally, the way nature intended, many consumers claim that organic foods have a better taste than non-organic equivalents. Occasionally other factors may come into play, but taste tests and the millions of people who regularly eat organic confirm the superior flavour.

Why does organic sometimes costs more?

Organic foods can be more expensive, however this represents then true cost of growing nutritious, high quality, chemical-free produce. As some say, ‘you get more carrot in your organic carrot’. Food grown using intensive methods may be cheap, but on the flip side can have high health, social and environmental costs such as sickness and cleaning up polluted waterways. ‘Can we afford not to go organic?’ is the real question to ask.

Do organic foods last as long?

Manufactured organic foods have a shelf life similar to their non-organic equivalents. However, as no synthetic fungicide, pesticide or post-harvest treatments are used, the shelf life is fresh organic products can vary. In many cases its lower water content and natural method of production can improve shelf life.

Are organic foods pesticide free?

Pesticides are everywhere – in the air, the ground and water supplies, and therefore the risk of contamination is always present – so it is impossible for any product to claim that it is entirely pesticide free. As organic foods are produced without the use of artificial pesticides, consuming organic is your best way of limiting pesticide intake.

Are all goods entirely organic?

Most organic foods are 100% organic, however some manufactured goods have a small proportion of uncertified ingredients (a maximum of 5%) from a restricted list, which can be found in the Australian Organic Standard. These ingredients must be clearly labelled. All products and operations are audited and tested annually and a cross-section of operations are subject to un-announced audits throughout the year to ensure integrity of organic products.

Do organic foods contain any additives?

Organic foods undergo the minimum processing necessary. A minimum number of natural processing aids such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and guar gum are approved and must be included on the label when used. These are under constant review and new processing aids can only be added following intense scrutiny.

What about genetic modification (GM)?

Australian Organic Standards prohibit the use of genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) of any kind during the growing, processing and manufacture of organic foods.

Who regulates the industry?

The two organic representative bodies are Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA) and Australian Certified Organic (ACO). BFA is Australia’s largest representative organic body, and since the 1980s has been a voice for its members and the organic industry and movement in general – on matters relating to education, trade, promotion and advocacy. ACO is a subsidiary of BFA and is Australia’s premier certifier of organic produce. ACO certifies more organic businesses and organic produce in Australia than any other organisation. ACO maintains conformance with all leading organic standards across the world allowing market access for certified organic products. Look out for the ACO logo when buying organic for your guarantee of organic integrity.

Organic is the way food is grown and handled. Organic farming is a system of agriculture, which works with nature rather than against it. Supporting organic is the best way we can secure a better and healthier future for ourselves, our children and our planet.

For more info visit www.bfa.com.au