Welcome to Syntropy!
Terre vivante, April 2024, 160 p. 21×29,7 cm. Practical Ecology, French
The only book to date written on Syntropic Agriculture for temperate environments, emerging concept all over the world.
After Permaculture, the new revolution in your garden!
This book, based on the field experiments of Anaëlle Théry, a pioneer of syntropy in France, provides methods adapted to temperate latitudes, for vegetable gardening (from 50 m²), market gardening, fruit growing and wood production.
20 000 COPIES SOLD in 18 months, new copies printed regularly to supply continuous demand sustained by buzz and courses.
Initiated by Ernst Götsch over 40 years ago in Brazil, syntropic agroforestry has only been tested for a few years in temperate climates. Syntropy comes from the Greek syntropia, meaning to go from the simple to the complex.
This first book in the world on Syntropic Agroforestry in a temperate climate is based on the double dimension of the fundamental principles of abundance and living organisms, and the results of field research.
It proposes a braiding of science, philosophy and history, as well as experimentation, observation and openings to new possibilities. All seasoned with musketeer mice, fables and turtle plantations!
On her land in the Dordogne, she has created no fewer than 25 areas designed to test highly productive plant combinations, while responding to the problems of the area: limiting watering and adapting to hot weather.
This practice is based on extremely dense and diversified associated crops, which follow one another over time: plants are sown and planted at the same time and will yield in 3 months (vegetables), 2 years (berries), 10 years (fruit trees), 15 years (firewood) or even 250 years (timber).
What is Syntropy?
- Above all, it’s a paradigm shift, from which field practices flow. There are no ready-made recipes, but a deep understanding that “we are not the intelligent ones, we are part of an intelligent system” (Ernst Götsch).
- It’s about rediscovering a just and beneficial place going towards the living and abundance.
- It’s the succession in time and space of production and biomass; an agriculture of process: the more you plant, the richer the soil and the less you water.
- It’s magical and exhilarating!
Different plants are closely linked through their root exchanges, forming an intelligent system that simply needs to be allowed to flourish. We leave behind the paradigm of competition for light, nutrients or water, and enter into cooperation that is beneficial on all levels.
These natural systems lead naturally to abundance. However we have destroyed much of the soil and general conditions they require. By understanding a few key Syntropic principles, we can recreate the conditions for abundance to appear again, quickly and sometimes so amazingly that it’s been called the “cat’s leap”.
In practice, Syntropy makes it possible to plant very dense and productive harmonious systems, permanently enriching the soil without external input simply by producing organic matter to be used as mulch. And with well-chosen disturbances, the entire system can be stimulated to grow quickly to maturity and maximum abundance.
To summarise, Syntropy enables a rapid return to complex, mature and resilient systems of abundance. These plant systems are producing much more, growing up to 2 times faster, and much more resistant to water shortages, disease, temperature changes and other major disturbances. Any market gardener, house gardener, forester, amateur or professional, will thus be able to multiply and strengthen their production and plant environments.
Why so many people are interested about syntropic agroforestry?
- Syntropy brings focus to a number of elements, in particular the movement that consists of starting from the simple to create the complex, starting from what is available and in the harshest cases starting from almost nothing, very poor soils that are sometimes damaged or lacking water, to rebuild the soil and flourish up to agricultural abundance.
- This concept is also fully applicable on rich soils with sufficient water because it will lead to giving space for the natural fast and abundant cooperation and stimulation of plant growth through precise combinations of plants and regular perturbations/pruning.
- It can be seen as another of permaculture‘s multiple branches, and more specifically as a step further with regards to growth speed and soil enrichment.
- It also gives further information about Forest Garden, allowing especially to accelerate and strengthen the growing phases before the forest is well settled.
- It’s a regenerating concept with enormous practical potential for increased biodiversity.
In syntropy, oak stands side by side with radish…
“Turtle”, “cat’s leap”, “disturbance”… the author details the techniques for planting a story whose predetermined scenario will lead to a vegetable jungle.
A revolution!
According to Anaëlle Théry, it’s essential to re-examine our ways of thinking, to unravel our beliefs, to get rid of our habits and learn: “the living is our teacher”.
Anaëlle Théry has been experimenting with syntropy on her 5,000 m² land for 6 years, and is now fully dedicated to transmitting and improving that knowledge.
Original Title :
Bienvenue en Syntropie !
Samples available :
– in French, short sample here-below, longer samples upon request
– in English, and longer samples upon request
– in German (short samples)
RIGHTS SOLD : French world wide
Territory of representation :
World wide
More about the rights available for this book
sophiesavary@sosavbooks.com
