Fair Share

We are provided with times of abundance which enables us to share with others.


We need to learn to take only what we need and share the surplus whilst recognising that there are limits to how much we can give and how much we can take.

For example if you have fruit trees you are likely to produce more than one person can eat. It takes time to pick and preserve the harvest, and there are limits to how much fruit we can use. There are many ways that we benefit from giving a fair share of the bounty to others in our community.



By governing our own needs, we can set resources aside to further the above principles. Setting limits to population is not about limiting people's free movement, tight border controls and a one child policy. Its about working to achieve a stable human population, using a number of key strategies. These include: access to family planning; helping people to meet their basic needs of clean water, adequate food, and basic healthcare and education; education for girls.

The third ethic recognises that:

  1. The Earth’s resources are limited.
  2. These resources need to be shared amongst many beings.

Permaculture seeks to divide these resources fairly amongst people, animals and plants alike, not forgetting future generations who will need food, water and shelter just as much as we do now.