“I embraced permaculture as an ideology of life, with a consciousness of caring for the environment and generating as little waste as possible,” said Ivonne Moreno.
HAVANA TIMES – Farmer Ivonne Moreno sees permaculture as not only a philosophy of life but also a sustainable model for producing food, reducing environmental impact, and projecting sustainable communities in urban or rural areas of Cuba.
These and other principles have guided the planting of dozens of species of fruit trees, vegetables, tubers, aromatic and medicinal plants, as well as shrubs and timber trees on her farm La Luisa, located in Cotorro, one of the 15 municipalities that make up the Cuban capital.
Her food forest, as she defines it, provides fruits, seeds, flowers, roots, leaves, condiments, medicinal products, and firewood, among other inputs, while also serving as a habitat for birds, insects, and other animal species that enrich the soil and enhance biodiversity.
“When I hear about a fruit in danger of extinction, I look for its seed and plant it. I don’t remove the leaf litter to preserve the soil microorganisms. I also use organic fertilizers from manure from a nearby dairy farm, along with peels and other waste,” Moreno explained to IPS during a visit to her farm.
However, the food forest “has not been fully implemented because it also requires animals that need to be free and whose food should not compete with human food. It needs to be properly designed,” noted the 51-year-old farmer, who is married and has two daughters.
Moreno’s connection to La Luisa began in childhood when she spent vacations on the 0.7-hectare farm acquired by her great-great-grandfather in 1878.
“I embraced permaculture as an ideology of life, with a consciousness of caring for the environment and generating as little waste as possible,” Ivonne Moreno said.
After living in a populous area of the capital, in 2010 she decided to settle permanently on the land where “the connection with nature is direct.”
And without knowing it, “I started doing permaculture. I embraced it as an ideology of life, with a consciousness of caring for the environment and generating as little waste as possible.”
It is, she added, “a way of living wherever you are, on a plot in the countryside or in an apartment in the city.”
Solutions to Global Problems
Permaculture is a concept that has evolved from “permanent agriculture” in its beginnings to a more contemporary one related to “permanent culture.”
As a design tool, with principles, practices, and attitudes, it envisions sustainable human settlements where people coexist harmoniously with other animal and plant species and mitigate environmental impact.
It includes sustainable agriculture, the construction of ecological housing, as well as better utilization of natural resources and clean energy sources. It has political, economic, and social connotations.
According to experts, permaculture is a creative response to the envi
