Geoff Lawton
Encyclopedia
Geoff Lawton is a permaculture
consultant, designer and teacher. He holds a diploma in permaculture design. Since 1995 he has specialized in permaculture education, design, implementation, system establishment, administration and community development.
In 1996 he was accredited with the Permaculture Community Services Award by the permaculture movement for services in Australia
and around the world.
Since 1985, Lawton has undertaken a large number of jobs consulting, designing, teaching and implementing in over thirty countries around the world. Clients have included private individuals, groups, communities, governments, aid organizations, non-governmental organizations and multinational companies.
Lawton's aim is to establish self-replicating educational demonstration sites. He has currently educated over 6,000 students in permaculture worldwide. Lawton's 'master plan' is to see aid projects being replicated as fast as possible to help ameliorate the growing food and water crisis.
, upon his retirement, asked Geoff to establish and direct a new permaculture research institute on the 147 acre (0.59488842 km²) Tagari Farm. Lawton developed the site over a period of three years and established The Permaculture Research Institute as a global networking centre for permaculture projects. The institute is a non-profit
company limited by guarantee. It is currently located at Zaytuna Farm at The Channon in Northern NSW
, Australia
where Lawton is managing director.
The institute has since founded PRI USA, which is a registered charity - a tax-exempt organization under §501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Other permaculture research institutes that have been launched or are in the process of being launched include: PRI Jordan
, PRI Canada
, PRI Chile
, PRI Turkey
and PRI Afghanistan
.
Permaculture
Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that is modeled on the relationships found in nature. It is based on the ecology of how things interrelate rather than on the strictly biological concerns that form the foundation of modern agriculture...
consultant, designer and teacher. He holds a diploma in permaculture design. Since 1995 he has specialized in permaculture education, design, implementation, system establishment, administration and community development.
In 1996 he was accredited with the Permaculture Community Services Award by the permaculture movement for services in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and around the world.
Since 1985, Lawton has undertaken a large number of jobs consulting, designing, teaching and implementing in over thirty countries around the world. Clients have included private individuals, groups, communities, governments, aid organizations, non-governmental organizations and multinational companies.
Lawton's aim is to establish self-replicating educational demonstration sites. He has currently educated over 6,000 students in permaculture worldwide. Lawton's 'master plan' is to see aid projects being replicated as fast as possible to help ameliorate the growing food and water crisis.
Permaculture Research Institute
In October 1997 Bill MollisonBill Mollison
Bruce Charles 'Bill' Mollison is a researcher, author, scientist, teacher and naturalist. He is considered to be the 'father of permaculture', an integrated system of design, co-developed with David Holmgren, that encompasses not only agriculture, horticulture, architecture and ecology, but also...
, upon his retirement, asked Geoff to establish and direct a new permaculture research institute on the 147 acre (0.59488842 km²) Tagari Farm. Lawton developed the site over a period of three years and established The Permaculture Research Institute as a global networking centre for permaculture projects. The institute is a non-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
company limited by guarantee. It is currently located at Zaytuna Farm at The Channon in Northern NSW
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
where Lawton is managing director.
The institute has since founded PRI USA, which is a registered charity - a tax-exempt organization under §501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Other permaculture research institutes that have been launched or are in the process of being launched include: PRI Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, PRI Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, PRI Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, PRI Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and PRI Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Works
- Brick & Tile Permaculture, Permaculture International Journal
- The Sleeping Jaguar (co-author), Permaculture International Journal
- Ecuador (co-author), Permaculture International Journal
- Permaculture Aid in the Balkans, Permaculture International Journal
- Future Food Security, Green Connections
External links
- The Permaculture Research Institute of Australia
- Permaculture Research Institute USA
- The Permaculture Research Institute of Chile / Instituto Chileno de Permacultura
- Greening the Desert - Dramatic example of permaculture at work, as implemented by Geoff Lawton.
- Greening the Desert II - the follow-up to the above project.
- Permaculture Master Plan - Permaculture Centers Worldwide.
- Interview with Geoff Lawton - on project in Iraq.
- Interview with Geoff Lawton - on the 2004 tsunami, New Orleans, and recent environmental problems.
- Permaculture Across Borders