One of the tenants of permaculture is trying to understand nature through observation. It seems strange that after much development within the scientific field that would let us observe nature in more complex and innovative ways, we have used our new access to science to create technologies harmful to our environment. It would make more sense if through science we concluded that farming and agricultural production is best when nature can run its natural course. But that would be actually understanding science. Instead, Masanobu Fukuoka in The One Straw Revolution highlights the hidden bias within the scientific method. There is a underlying assumption that we know what is best and must find alternative ways to fix environmental problems. As Fukuoka says, “The irony is that science has served only to show how small human knowledge is” (29). As it turns out, our very own actions result in larger consequences like tilling the ground which depletes the oxygen supply or spraying pesticides that kill predators and create insect problems. The truth is that humans do not understand nature enough to prescribe medications to fix it.
Masanobu Fukuoka describes the way he allows nature to act on its own. While it requires no unnatural prescriptions, it requires a lot of energy, patience, and knowledge. When we let nature do the work on it own, we create a regenerative system. This regenerative model is much more efficient than the sustainable one, which aims to use technology. With a technological mindset, our goal is convenience through mechanization. However, such processes like grinding rice into flour will break down grain into its byproducts and we lose all the important nutrients (166). Afterwards, the sustainable model forces us to produce dietary supplements to reenter the necessary nutrients into our diets. Part of sustainability is trying to maintain things at a certain level. However, instead of trying to fix issues all together, we end up recreating technologies to fix our mistakes and sustain our circumstances from getting worse. Ultimately, a model that prioritizes nature to fix and rebuild itself is best.
Citations:
Fukoaka, M. (1978). The One-Straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming. New York: New York Review Books.
