パーマカルチャー・マガジン賞

Located in the mountainous island of Shikoku, Japan, Forest School Mikke exists to foster a culture of creative actions towards a sustainable and regenerative society.

Mikke is based in Kamiyama, a small town in Tokushima Prefecture. Like many rural towns across Japan, Kamiyama is on a path towards an ageing society and needs to create a reason for younger people to move to or stay in the town. It is within this context that Mikke is engaged in two major initiatives: school management and forest restoration.

Mikke is an alternative school where elementary school-aged children (6–12 years old) learn through an interdisciplinary curriculum based on food, clothing, and shelter, using the forest as a learning environment. Since its opening in 2022, 28 students have enrolled, and 191 participants have joined short-term programs such as summer school. Through its educational activities, Mikke fosters exchanges between people of different generations, fields, and backgrounds in the community. To date, it has held 11 community events with a total of 270 participants.

Like other rural areas in the region, Kamiyama is covered with unharvested monoculture forests of cedar and cypress, planted as part of post-war policies. This has led to a decrease in biodiversity, soil degradation and other undesirable downstream effects. The team at Mikke works to restore these neglected forests so sunlight can reach the forest floor and foster healthy ecosystems. Mikke has planted 70 fruit trees. By the autumn of 2026, to coincide with a new school building, Mikke aims to source timber from its own land and set up a firewood station.

Habilin Farms is a hub for both agro-education and community empowerment in the Philippines, offering workshops, training, and hands-on experiences in permaculture and sustainable living.

Founded by a small group of like-minded individuals, the farm started as a modest initiative to grow organic produce while practicing regenerative farming methods. Located in the rural landscapes of Tayabas, Quezon, the farm sits on fertile land surrounded by rich biodiversity and native flora, making it an ideal hub for permaculture. Over time, Habilin Farms evolved into a model of eco-tourism and community empowerment, offering immersive experiences like bamboo workshops, forest camping, and farm-to-table meals.

Since its founding, the farm has made some significant achievements, including:

• Building a strong connection with local farmers through the Organic Farmers’ Association.
• Supporting small scale farmers through projects like the Farm-to-Tray Project, a collaboration with local hospitals that provides healthy, chemical-free vegetables from organic farmers.
• Implementing a locally focused organic certification scheme (known as a Participatory Guarantee System).
• Successfully lobbying for the passing of a city ordinance institutionalising organic agriculture in Tayabas.
• Conducting several permaculture workshops and creating opportunities for eco-conscious visitors to engage in nature-based activities.

Its ongoing initiatives aim to expand organic agriculture, eco-tourism, and community-based projects, further establishing Habilin Farms as a pioneer in sustainable development and regeneration in the region.

Seaforestation.co regenerates life in the ocean and revitalises livelihoods for seaweed farmers, smallholder rice farmers, and coastal communities – many of whom are on the frontlines of climate disruption.

Founded in 2022, Seaforestation.co was established to address the urgent need for ocean regeneration and climate justice. Specifically, the organization focuses on restoring primary productivity in marine ecosystems, which are essential for global food security and stabilising economies in coastal and rural areas affected by climate change. By fostering sustainable economies and introducing innovative marine permaculture techniques, Seaforestation.co works to foster sustainable economies while  addressing critical environmental and economic challenges.

Operating across national borders, Seaforestation.co targets economically disadvantaged communities, particularly in Southeast Asia. It has established operations in regions such as the Central Philippines, where climate impacts are most severe. Many of these communities depend on vulnerable ecosystems for their survival, including seaweed farming and rice cultivation, both of which are increasingly threatened by heatwaves, droughts, and floods.

Seaforestation has successfully implemented a half-acre marine permaculture pilot, demonstrating the effectiveness of regenerative ocean farming. This initiative has enabled the production of over 8,000 litres of seaweed biostimulant, benefiting nearly a thousand rice farmers by improving crop resilience and yields in the face of climate challenges.

The Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute (IMAP) was founded in 2000 by a group of Maya Kaqchikel community members from San Lucas Tolimán, along the shores of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala.

The founders were deeply concerned about the environmental and social problems that affected so many living beings around the lake. The forced imposition of monoculture cash crops threatened communities’ food sovereignty, reduced land access, and contributed to environmental degradation. These farmers knew their ancestors lived in harmony with nature, stewarding the land and caring for their communities’ food and medicinal needs with native plants. However, colonialism violently wrested those cultural, spiritual, and agricultural practices from communities.

IMAP has worked for 24 years, combining permaculture education with the recuperation and application of ancestral knowledge. It develops knowledge and skills needed to guarantee food sovereignty, community development and biodiversity. IMAP has supported 15,000+ small farmers to produce, harvest, and use native plants and seeds like amaranth and chia in polyculture plots. These plants are better adapted to local conditions and resistant to disease, fighting malnutrition and helping local people become more resilient in the face of climate change.

IMAP believes efforts to support local biodiversity must include:

• Embracing local growing traditions.
• Invigorating the rural economy.
• Preserving Indigenous cultures.

By focusing on food sovereignty – the right to produce and eat wholesome, culturally relevant food – sustainable, agroecological solutions are created that provide sustenance, promote ancestral practices, and support campesino farming based on respect for Mother Earth.

Through various projects, community engagements, and deep respect for traditional knowledge, The Pitak Project has empowered smallholder farmers and countless members of the public to become aware of and embrace practices that honour both the earth and its peoples.

Founded in 2013, in Northern Luzon, Philippines, Pitak is a less-than-hectare farm located 250 feet above sea-level. Pitak is the Ilocano (the main language spoken in Northern Philippines) term for mud. The name symbolises the bond of the rich soil and water that gives life. It also embodies the founders’ aspiration to build naturally and produce food the permaculture way. This humble piece of land has become a living classroom and a vibrant hub of life and living.

Pitak’s work includes regenerative agriculture that revitalises soil health and ecosystems, while also supporting local smallholder farmers to secure sustainable livelihoods. The work is not just about farming: it’s about healing the disconnect that so often divides people from the very soil beneath their feet. It applies regenerative principles in both the cultivation of the land and the cultivation of the community, aiming for solutions that enhance food security, well-being, and dignity. Its initiatives foster economic independence, preserve indigenous knowledge, and build resilience in the face of challenges like climate change and resource scarcity.

Pitak believes in the power of small-scale, grassroots efforts to ignite significant change. The impact has rippled outwards, inspiring similar initiatives that continue to contribute to forging a network of practitioners who are committed to ecological and social regeneration.

Youth Initiative for Community Empowerment (YICE) is a refugee-led organization that focuses on implementing regenerative practices for subsistence farmers in rural Uganda, especially women, youth, and refugees.

YICE employs permaculture techniques that align with nature, enabling larger harvests, reducing deforestation, and maintaining healthy soil and water, which helps mitigate climate change. In Kassanda and Isingiro Districts, YICE trains rural communities, equipping them with practical skills to enhance nutrition and earnings while fostering collaboration through small groups. The organization also provides vital resources like farming equipment, water harvesting kits, and seeds, which many farmers find unaffordable.

YICE empowers trainees to achieve sustainable food security, improve health, restore soil and water, and build economic resilience. By collaborating with local agricultural organizations and government entities, YICE offers tailored training in regenerative farming and climate change awareness, along with ongoing support for establishing traditional food gardens and fruit tree plantings.

Since its inception, YICE has:

• Directly impacted 8,540 individuals (81% women and children) who have achieved a 75% increase in food security and a 34% increase in incomes from food sales.
• Planted nearly 8,000 fruit trees and regenerated over 1,000 acres of land.
• Earned multiple awards, including the 2019 Spring Prize Award under Young Projects Category, the 2021 Ashden Award for Regenerative Farming, the 2019 UNDP Climate Change Award and the 2020 Youth, Water and Climate Award