Charles Hervé-Gruyer, Co-founder of the Bec Hellouin farm
The conventional farming model is increasingly criticized for its negative environmental impacts and inability to feed our planet’s ever-growing population with limited resources. Unlike the intensive model, the permaculture and bio-intensive micro-agriculture model developed at Bec Hellouin places nature at the heart of farming. The idea is to produce large amounts from small areas, at the same time replenishing the biosphere and gradually moving away from use of chemical inputs and fossil fuels.
Although the Bec Hellouin model was created in a rural setting in northern France, its innovative approach is rooted in the circular economy and is equally suited to application in urban settings, where micro-farms provide myriad services to the local community, such as local produce, environmental benefits, microclimate, social ties, and more.
