Clea Chandmal Email & Phone Number

Clea, from a ‘Genetics’, 'Ecology and Evolution', ‘Plant Breeding’ and a ‘Plant Molecular Physiology’ background (University of Cambridge, UK) and a Permaculture background (PDC : Bill Mollison; Geoff Lawton; Greg Knibbs; and Andrew Millison), is a recognised expert in Regenerative Systems. Her approach and methods are novel and rigorously developed over 30 years at her 'food forest' farm at the foothills of the Western Ghats in India. She has developed the 'Forest Floor Way TM' and 'The Forest WayTM, to repair soils and create productive bio diverse food systems which restore ecological functions. Her approach works on all soil/climate types, from the most arid, saline and degraded to water logged and compacted. Results are known to be gained faster than other known methods, and works without the use of elaborate irrigation systems/fertiliser regimes thereby keeping within the capacity of low income farmer groups. As a Permaculture design facilitator and consultant, her expertise lies in the generation of a Permaculture masterplan and more specifically soil regeneration, the hydration of landscapes, food forests, food scaping for homesteads and restaurants, kitchen and terrace gardening, large scale regenerative agriculture/farming, retro-fitting single species orchards and plantations, sustainable architecture and the remediation of grey and black waters. Her focus, over the last 8 years till date lies in the mitigation of climate, food, nutrition, water and income insecurity for both large holdings as well as for small scale Indian farmers (case studies being in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh). Other work includes the mitigation of human nutritional deficiencies amongst several tribal and marginal farmer communities primarily via soil health and biodiverse kitchen gardening. She is currently focusing on the mitigation of animal-human conflict via her 'Forest Way TM' of tree based farming . Case studies include forest dwelling tribal communities of Central India and the Western Ghats. Like all Permaculturists, she is most excited by and is continuously working on positive impact approaches to merge human systems with that of the Earth and all its species!