Nurturing Nature at ESCP
Taking a break from the fast-life
This garden was created by the students of the MiM specialization "Sustainable Digital Transformation" with the support of Natwork (founded by an EMBA alumnus).Through this project, the students discovered the concepts of permaculture and permanagement (an analogy created by Natwork). They had the opportunity to go from theory to practice and to implement the key learnings of the day.
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The creation of these two vegetable gardens took six months and several workshops. The designs of the 'three sisters' and the 'bruschetta' garden highlight two analogies between nature and business management: the importance of diversity, inclusion and (eco)system thinking.
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"Mirroring Nature and human organisations sheds a new light on management. To be able to contribute to the transformations to come, it is key to grasp such new perspectives, always with a critical mind".
Prof. Yannick Meiller, Associate Dean of the MIM
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This work has been supported by the ESCP Foundation as part of the project "Sustainable Agriculture and Management – an impactful inspiration”. There is funding available for other permaculture/permanagement workshops ( for students and the staff) - if you want to know more or if you want to suggest ideas, contact Prof. Yannick Meiller.
Listen to what they have to say about their experience with Natwork!
"Leave a lasting memory for myself at ESCP to look back upon" - Marguerite
"Helped nurture patience and consistency throughout the semester" - Lucrezia
"Good experience reflecting on diversity and inclusion before starting corporate life" - Marie
"Gave a fresh holistic perspective on applying permanagement to life" - Milap
MANAGEMENT & PERMACULTURE
What is permaculture ?
​Permaculture is an innovative approach to culture that aims to create self-sufficient and sustainable ecosystems. It can improve resilience to environmental changes, maintaining soil efficiency and reducing costs. It is based on 3 core ethics: earth care, people care and fair share.
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What is permanagement ?
Permanagement is a translation of permaculture to management. It explains how to apply the permaculture principles and ethics to the management sphere to create a better future.
It’s a managerial framework supporting organizational and cultural changes. It fosters #sustainability, #resilience, #well-being, and #innovation of any type of groups and organizations. ​
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To have more information : click here
THE 3 SISTERS GARDEN
This garden is based on a combination of complementary plants (diversity and inclusion): corn, beans and pumpkin. This virtuous combination comes to us from the indigenous peoples of North and Central America. Traces of it can be found in the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the Mayas, and the Iroquois people consider these plants to be a divine trinity that sprang from the tomb of Mother Earth, dead from having given birth to the twins Good and Evil.
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Agricultural interests of this association (ecosystemic thinking)
There are many among which we can mention the following examples:
- beans fix nitrogen, which is beneficial to corn growth
- the corn provide a support for the beans
- the pumpkin's large leaves conserve moisture and protect against predators ...
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A keyhole garden
In the centre of this kitchen garden is a composting area (see instructions for composting your waste on the poster). The objective is to nourish the soil on this small area.
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A few other plants have been added, such as aromatics, to protect the garden from insects and attract pollinators.
The Bruschetta Garden
This garden is inspired by the famous Italian bruschetta. These ingredients, when combined, are delicious on the plate but are also a perfect combination in the garden. Finding the right place for the right plants depending on their talents and needs is key to a sucessful garden (growth in diversity and inclusion).
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Tomatoes need guardian angels (ecosystemic thinking)
Basil in this combination not only enriches the flavour of the tomatoes, but also protects the plants from various insects thanks to the scent it gives off.
Garlic will protect tomatoes from fungal diseases (such as mildew).
Flowers such as daisies have been added to the mix to attract pollinators and also to give an early warning of the presence of aphids (daisies will be the first to be affected).
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An integrated watering system thanks to ollas
One of the most optimal irrigation solutions available has been used in the garden: a terra cotta container designed to be inserted into the soil. When filled with water, its porous sides let water flow out slowly, thus keeping the soil nearby moist.
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There is no risk of excess or lack of water, provided that you make sure that it remains full of water. This solution allows to optimize this energy: it allows to make up to 70% of water saving compared to a classic watering.
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If the Ollas in front of you are empty, PLEASE FILL THEM! ( To proceed, look at the poster)
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Let's create a green environment on campus
