PermaGuinée

Since 2022 we are building on ca. 30 hectars the plantation PermaGuinée. It will be a plantation of learning - in the two directions: we learn how to face the new challenges of climate change and we will share what we have learned. The idea: to offer trainings to farmers from the area and beyond. 


PermaGuinée is situated in the area of Kindia, in the Republic of Guinea. We aim to develop a learning center for farmers from the area and perhaps on day beyond, offering trainings.

In fact, we want to develop a LivingLab, an experimental plantation, to explore how to manage in the most efficient manner yet at the same time in a solid way the build-up or transition to a ecological climate resilient agroforestery, which includes livestock. In the long run, we want to become a net zero CO2 (or even negative emission) agriculture, yet for this we need scientific support - which we are already looking for.


The objective is a resilient, ecological agroforestery, which is adapted to the new challenges posed by climate change - and this via simple but fine-tuned working technics and measures, which do not need external input. Thus it will be regenerative agriculture. It is the manner by which soil quality will be improved, irrigation organised and, more generally, the way to arrange the shadowing and habitat of plants and animals, which will allow to grow strong and resilient plants and animals.

This kind of ecological agriculture is inspired by the approach of permaculture - a way of doing permaculture as I have learned it at Krameterhof in Austria https://krameterhof.at/en/ . There, at this ferme, I have the impression they practiced already since long what the FAO is inviting us to do: To take into account the health of humans, animals, plants, the soil and environnement in general - thus considering the idea of ONE HEALTH.


For the moment, at PermaGuinée, we integrate our vegetable cultivation among the fruit farming and keep animal husbandry. In the middle or long run, we would like to enrich our approach with pisciculture and beekeeping.

In the beginning, we had established four fields. But we concentrate on one field for our experimentations, while we use the other three for production and the rotation of the cultures - or to start new parts of the orchard to grow new shadowing for future cultures.


In the valley, we can cultivate only in some parts. On the slopes between the fields and the valley we plant the extensive part of our fruit trees.

At the right side is the part of the plantation, which we use as pasture for the cattle and sheep.

We start also to work on that part of the plantation - opening up parts of the vegetation of small trees for the cattle and sheep, leaving shadowing trees.

Specially the "great separation", which separates pasture from the agricultural parts of the plantation had been a challenge - since cattle and sheep forced their way for the vegetable fields. For the moment, our green fencing works.

In addition we are planting more green fencings along the two sides of the valley, to be able to open up such parts of the land for the animals during the dry seasons, ensuring that they have sufficient access to food and water. Most of those parts would be difficult to work on for agriculture though we plant here also the extensive part of our orchard.

This combined and alternating approch takes time and our patience, but so let's start NOW.