Food Energy Efficiency of Permaculture

Permaculture

Energy Return on Energy Invested (EROEI): The energy return on energy invested in permaculture is significantly higher compared to mass agriculture. While precise numbers vary, a study by the Institute of Food Research found that systems designed around permaculture principles could yield 4 to 5 times more food energy than the energy input when compared to conventional farming. Some permaculture farms show a high EROEI ratio, sometimes around 10:1 or better, depending on the specific design and practices.

Mass Agriculture

Energy Intensity: The energy intensity of conventional farming can be quite high. According to studies, industrial agriculture may require up to 10 kcal (10 calories) of fossil energy for every 1 kcal (1 calorie) of food energy produced, and this ratio can be even worse in certain contexts (e.g., meat production, especially beef).

By the numbers

Using the 10kcal to 1kcal of food energy ratio of mass agriculture.

Mass Agriculture

10 calories to produce

1 calorie of nutritional value

Permaculture

10 calories to produce

40 calories of nutritional value

Our next blog post

“By the Gallons | Permaculture & Water Conservation”