Last weekend I was invited, as a trustee of the Permaculture Association, to deliver a workshop about permaculture and sustainable economics, at the Radical Routes and Rootstock conference, at Conway Hall in London. The title of the conference was Practical Economics - and the general theme of the workshops was radical alternatives to a failed economic system. You can download a copy of the presentation from my workshop here on the Roblog.

Radical Routes is a co-operative comprised of a network of some 30 radical housing of co-opertives in the UK. Rootstock is a finance co-operative set up to raise funds to support the network of co-ops. Given the radical nature of the audience, I put together a 50 minute presentation, and slide show, that cut to the heart of the problems to do with modern economics. I began by stating that permaculture is a localisation strategy, using my personal definition, that it is "about empowering individuals and communities to be less dependent on global corporations for their food, energy, and other essential resources". 

I gave a brief summary of the issues covered in Fairley's article, Can Britain Feed Itself, discussed already in the Roblog, which shows how given the political will, enough food could be grown on this island, to feed its burgeoning population. I then provided evidence about how through a 'powerdown strategy', and a diversification of renewable energy resources, the nation could also become self reliant in terms of its energy. I also gave some excellent examples of co-operative projects, that embrace the ethics of permaculture (even though they may not affiliate to the network), and provide solutions to modern day economic problems. These examples include:

• Torrs Hydro in New Mills just outside Manchester, which is a community owned hydro-electric scheme;
• Fordhall Farm, the broadscale permaculture project in Shropshire, with 8,000 landlords, including the Permaculture Association; and
• Our favourite .. Unicorn Grocery which is an Industrial and Provident Society based in Chorlton, which used its legal structure to issue loan stock, and raise funds from the local community, in order to buy its premises, and more recently, land for growing its own veg.

I couldn't have talked at a conference on economics however, without going into the interrelated issues of economic growth, modern day banking, and currency design. I have already explained here on the Roblog how fractional reserve banking is resulting in unrestrained economic growth, and the mass transfer (some would say "theft") of wealth and power from everyday folk, to the economic elite. Despite the fact however, that there are some great examples of local economic solutions, such as those mentioned above, I cannot help think that we are pissing in the wind, so long as we continue to operate within the system of fractional reserve banking, and that monetary reform is our best hope of savior.

The most encouraging thing I got out of the conference was finding a block of people there, thinking along similar lines, and  it is clear that the knowledge of the need for monetary reform is a lot more widespread now, than it was 10 years ago, when I was more involved in LETSystems, and the community currency movement. I had a talk with Mary Fee from LETS Link London, who informed me that a LETS administration Drupal module is under production. I have offered to host this software on this web site, or perhaps on ManchesterPermaculture.Net, if other users will be happy about this. Watch this space .. !