permaculture, n.
[f. perma(nent a. + culture n.]
The development or maintenance of an ecosystem intended to be self-sustaining and to satisfy the living requirements of its inhabitants, esp. by the use of renewable resources.
1978 Mollison & Holmgren Permaculture 1 i. 1/1 Permaculture is a word we have coined for an integrated, evolving system of perennial or self-perpetuating plant and animal species useful to man. It is, in essence, a complete agricultural ecosystem.
1980 Express (Austral.) 2 July 6/5 A member of the Tagari Permaculture Community, Mr. Earl Saxon is in Queensland right now meeting with people and groups interested in Permaculture.
1987 New Internationalist May 13/1 Ofelia's commitment of permaculture (the production of permanent, integrated, self-reliant eco-systems to fulfil human needs for food, energy, shelter, clothing and education) springs directly from her experiences of the harsh socio-economic realities of her homeland, Venezuela.
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