Note: The webinar will be in Spanish with interpretation available into English and Portuguese
By “ancestral permaculture” we mean the design of sustainable, cyclical living systems rooted in the wisdom and lived practices of Indigenous peoples. This knowledge has long fostered harmonious relationships with the living world by adapting to diverse climatic and ecosystemic conditions, creating dynamic balances and shaping human-in-nature environments that sustain life in all its forms. It demonstrates that humanity can inhabit ecosystems while safeguarding, regenerating, and enhancing biodiversity.
This approach is especially relevant for people and communities in transition who are seeking decolonial pathways and practical tools to regenerate their relationship with the land in more harmonious and healthy ways. It is a way of caring for the land inspired by biocentric governance systems, as well as polycultural traditions such as the Mesoamerican milpa, the Andean chagra, and the edible forests of the Amazon, alongside community-based practices like tequio, minga, and convite. These living networks integrate food, medicine, spirituality, and community organisation, oriented toward relational harmony with the living whole.
Through polyculture, native seeds, the living memory of place, and the imitation of natural systems, ancestral permaculture reflects how ecosystems themselves function. In the Andean chagra and the Mayan solar, for example, tall trees protect and support the plants below, optimising water, nutrients, light, and space. These systems are guided by principles of reciprocity (Ayni) among all beings, adapting to local cycles and available resources, and recognising that every action forms part of an interconnected web of relationships that mirrors the natural flow of life.
These practices offer a practical and just path rooted in local communities, opening creative and desirable alternatives to move beyond neocolonial and industrial paradigms. They support a transition from intensive, extractive production toward diverse, community-based systems that are resilient in the face of climate disruption and the erosion of social support networks, while fostering social, spiritual, ecological, and systemic regeneration.
Join the event
Note: The webinar will be in Spanish with interpretation available into English and Portuguese
Diving deeper
Ancestral Permaculture
- Permacultura indigena: entrevista a Rogelio Simbaña - An interview exploring Indigenous perspectives on permaculture, emphasizing Andean cosmovision, reciprocity with nature, and community-based ecological stewardship.
- Memoria Biocultural de Toledo Bassols - A work that documents the relationship between biological and cultural diversity, highlighting how traditional knowledge systems shape sustainable land management.
- Sistema de chinampas mesoamericanas - A traditional Mesoamerican agricultural system of floating gardens that demonstrates highly productive, water-based polyculture farming developed by the Aztecs.
- Sistema Waru Waru zona andina - An ancient Andean raised-field agriculture system designed to manage water, prevent frost, and increase crop resilience in high-altitude environments.
- Camas elevadas y cultivo de waru waru (eng) - An English-language resource explaining raised-bed and waru waru farming techniques used in Andean regions to improve soil, water retention, and climate resilience.
- Soluciones incas basadas en la naturaleza - An overview of Incan nature-based engineering solutions, including terracing, irrigation, and landscape design adapted to mountainous ecosystems.
- La chagra andina - A traditional Andean agroecological system that integrates crops, trees, and medicinal plants in a diversified, reciprocal relationship with local ecosystems.
- Contribuciones potenciales de la infraestructura de infiltración preincaica a la seguridad hídrica andina (eng) - A study examining how pre-Incan water infiltration systems could inform modern approaches to water security in the Andes.
- Solar Maya - A traditional Mayan household agroforestry system where food, medicinal plants, and trees are cultivated together in a highly diverse and self-regulating garden ecosystem.
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Opportunities to keep connected and learn more
- Community Waves: https://communitywaves.space/s/abya-yala-territorio/
- Web: https://transicionabyayala.transitionmovement.org/es/eventos/
- FB page
Support the movement
We offer these webinars free of charge to spread the good work and inspiration that these people are doing. It takes countless hours of coordination, resources and preparation to bring this all together.
If you have received value, inspiration from the series and want to reciprocate, or simply want to support us, we are now fundraising to put together an in-person international transition gathering in Portugal for May 2027. We do not have a budget for this, and are relying on donations and support to make it happen. If you are able to donate and support this cause it would be greatly appreciated!
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