in the right direction, any system of mono-culture (planting large areas with a single crop) will always be a struggle against nature's unstoppable tendency towards bio-diversity. Thus 'organic' in itself is still not the answer. We need truly sustainable systems and Permaculture can design them for us. So when we design food growing systems, we ask ourselves "How would nature do this? What kind of wild flora and fauna live here, and what adaptations have they made to become successful? " As I'm sure you've noticed, large areas of a single species are not commonly found in nature and while a mono-cultured grain field may look full, it occupies only one level in terms of height and depth. Observing nature has shown us that there may be seven or more distinct vertical layers of plants and trees in any stable ecosystem, with a variety of rooting depths drawing up nutrients from all levels within the soil. This process is ultimately beneficial to all species growing and living there, as all these nutrients are eventually recycled back into the topsoil. Diverse systems do not suffer 'crop failures' (which can of course be disastrous with single crops, leading to mass famine at times). Their more stable microclimates ensure that there are always some species that are doing especially well at any given time. Fungi perform many important roles within nature, some decomposing dead matter to make new raw materials and others growing in cooperative relationships with plants, trees and insects. Insects also