The Permaculture Research Institute
Welcome to the Permaculture Research Institute!
The Permaculture Research Institute (PRI) is an international non-profit charitable organization working with communities worldwide to expand the knowledge and practice of integrated sustainable agriculture using the whole-systems approach of Permaculture Design to provide solutions for permanent abundance by training local people to become leaders of sustainable development in their communities and countries.
We raise funds, consult, manage projects, and provide support for our local affiliates, who further our shared mission by teaching and practicing sustainable design in their own countries and Bio-Regions. We design large and small projects on an international scale that address issues of critical global importance.
The Permaculture Research Institute Website is the communication hub of our global network of consultants, aid workers, students, educators and supporters.
What is permaculture?
Permaculture (permanent agriculture) is the harmonious integration of landscape and people providing their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way. It is also the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems which have the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems.
What can the PRI offer me?
If you want to:
- learn how to integrate organic food production into the broader context of sustainable human settlements
- gain skills necessary to design and teach Permaculture systems
- access a global network of environmental activists and projects
- learn the essentials of nature-friendly, energy-efficient house design
- understand, and be responsible for, your energy consumption and waste production
- apply Permaculture principles and methodology to other fields
…….then the PRI can help you.
What courses are available?
Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC)
72 hour, two week course in sustainable living systems design for all climates and landscapes. The PRI’s Permaculture Design Certificate is renowned for producing ecological activists with design skills, and connects students to a global network of Permaculture contacts and projects. Attaining a PDC is the foundation for further learning in this field, and is a pre-requisite to obtaining a Diploma in Permaculture Design, which requires two years of practical application of Permaculture in a range of disciplines.
The PDC covers the following:
- theory and principles of design
- methods of design
- climatic factor strategies for humid tropics, dry lands, and temperate zones
- Domestic food security and production: garden, mini-farm and farm design, ecological pest control,
- orchard and tree crops, forestry and bamboo plantations, bush foods and forages
- soil rehabilitation and erosion control
- livestock, green manures and farmers’ trees
- wildlife
- design for catastrophe prevention
- drought-proofing property
- earthworks
- water harvesting and management
- windbreaks and bushfire control
- aquaculture, aquatic plants and fisheries
- energy-efficient housing: site selection, appropriate technology, recycling and waste management
- whole systems design for human settlements - community or village level
- Permaculture Academy
- Invisible structures: trusts, legal strategies, alternative economic structures
