Eco-nomics and the Permaculture Movement in Taiwan

In China many people share the incorrect belief that more development must mean less nature.  Tammy Turner suggests that Taiwan’s experience is a good reference, since an increasing number of people are leading both prosperous and eco-friendly lives through Permaculture. This type of environmental economics is not a zero-sum game.

 Ms. Turner discusses current and future trends in the Permaculture movement, focusing in Taiwan. She explains how Permaculture can be applied to economic planning, serving as a buffer against the waste and volatility that result from incorrect economic predictions.  She describes several successful applications of Permaculture principles in Taiwan, including a "subscription farming" project, in which communities support local organic farmers by investing in their farms and ordering produce for the following season in advance. The advantage to the community is a secure, sustainable and accountable food supply, and the advantage to the farmer is a guarantee against growing unwanted crops that can’t be sold.