6. Permaculture controversies

Permaculture's impact has been very limited, and for a long time it remained largely unknown throughout the world. However, its visibility has increased considerably since the beginning of this decade. For a narrow but not insignificant fringe of the public, permaculture is now seen as a benchmark for ecological transition, even though they often have only a vague vision of it, frequently reduced to gardening techniques. Some local politicians are interested in it as a model for the kind of land-constrained urban agriculture they'd like to see developed, but it remains a terra incognita for the vast majority of public decision-makers. Its recent media success has, however, raised questions in both the scientific and agricultural worlds, the latter having difficulty in interpreting the demand for a permaculture approach by a growing number of would-be farmers.