Over 1/4 of the world is dependent on subsistence farming for feeding their families. I've seen first-hand that what "Developed Countries" are exporting in terms of agricultural technique; the ideas aren't always the most helpful or
sustainable.
The cellphone is the new satellite dish in developing countries. Internet accessibility is becoming almost ubiquitous, reaching some of the most remote locations on earth. Nearly 40% of the world owns a smartphone and that number is expected to grow, and that can be a very powerful tool.
Never before have we seen such a golden-age of internet technologies made available and accessible to build world-changing applications. Cloud computing, analytical tools, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and other tools are capable of making personal swaths of information. These may just sound like a lot of buzzwords, but I've used them to solve commercial/enterprise problems, and I see opportunity to apply them to the growth and proliferation of the
permaculture body of knowledge and to help people be more productive in growing.
I'm a professional technologist primarily, and an amateur permaculturalist secondly. I've got a start on some simple ideas, but with a much grander vision for things I'd like to build. I've started with a simple companion planting planner, with plenty of ideas on how to make it more helpful. I'm working to model global weather patterns to be able to provide location-specific and timely instruction and inspiration to improve growing yields.
I'd love for one or two experienced permaculturists with a world-wide vision for improving growing and sustainability practices to take an interest in this project, follow us on this journey, and provide advice/guidance/mentor-ship/ideas as we seek to build something of value to the
permaculture community and to the broader farming and
gardening communities.
http://www.growculture.net
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