Permaculture is a particularly useful metaphor in change management and KM and many organisations are using permaculture principles to teach design and sustainability. Permaculture concerns itself with the use of ecology as the basis for designing integrated systems of food production, housing, appropriate technology, and community development.

"Companies are actually living organisms, not machines. We keep bringing in mechanics, when what we need are gardeners." Peter Senge

Permaculture is built upon an ethic of caring for the earth and interacting with the environment in mutually beneficial ways. It seeks to design sustainable human habitats by observing and following the patterns of nature. Permaculture encourages holistic thinking which means that we consider all aspects of a system (irrespective of how seemingly insignificant they are) and how they interrelate with each other. In addition, permaculture encourages use to think about the consequences of any intervention. In very broad summary, Permaculture teaches an appreciation for design that:

• uses available materials and resources to ensure maximum productivity and the minimum amount of energy expenditure

• teaches respect for nature and all living things
• recognises the environment as a complex set of living relationships
• emulate natural processes thus promoting sustainability
• encourages diversity in plant and animal species
• teaches planning by considering the consequences of actions by projecting into the future