How to be a Permie? Analyzing Influential Factors Shaping Permaculture Strategies for Overcoming Challenges in Southern Australia.

Abstract

Permaculture, as an alternative and sustainable approach to conventional farming, has been an emerging field of study, primarily focusing on challenges faced and strategies applied during the initiation phase of permaculture enterprises. This research seeks to bridge a critical gap in the existing literature by exploring the factors that shape the strategies employed by long-term successful permaculture practitioners in southern Australia. Through an explorative case study, this research, while partly affirming prevailing literature on permaculture practitioners' challenges, strategies, and the factors that mold these strategies, uncovers unique revelations that shed new light on permaculture practices. The study uncovers the paramount importance of individual-level factors, notably motivation, intricately intertwined with practitioners’ personal values, diverse knowledge, creativity, and adaptability and success perception, while also highlighting the substantial influence of sociallevel factors, such as shared values, communal interests, and the presence of a supportive community that facilitates their journey. It has become evident that, while posing varied challenges, institutional level factors showed less relevant for the strategic decision-making of the permaculture practitioners. While focused on the context of southern-Australia, this research has created important insights into the potential of permaculture practitioners, by analyzing examples of long-term success. The research also provides a stepping-stone into the relatively underexplored domain of long-term success in permaculture enterprises, offering promising prospects for future research. Further investigations may extend our understanding and contribute to the advancement of sustainable transformations within the agricultural sector.