Barbara Garofoli

The first graduate of the Accademia italiana di permacultura in 2006, I founded the Swiss Permaculture Academy in 2018.
As a tutor, I accompany the future graduates of both academies.
I lived on a farm from 2002 to 2021 where I applied permaculture principles to restore the soil and achieve food self-sufficiency for my family.
With a wide range of experience, I have worked in contexts as diverse as the hills of Umbria and the mountains of Switzerland.

Since 2004, I have been actively involved in promoting natural agriculture, organising training courses for the general public and international meetings.

I have also taken part in a number of desert greening projects alongside Panos Manikis, and I am one of the main characters in the film “Land Awakening” directed by Raùl Àlvarez.
I see permaculture as a method of design, enabling people to become aware of their own needs, limitations and resources, while providing a framework for designing a project with clear, realistic and achievable goals.