An EcoVillage resembles a natural eco-system, since both are a community of organisms interacting with each other, and with their environment.

     An eco-system includes the basic components, both living and non-living, needed to maintain the cycles required to sustain it indefinitely into the future.

     An EcoVillage is constituted in the same way. It also gains its energy from non-fossil fuel sources, produces food equivalent to the caloric and nutrient needs of the its population, gets its building materials and spends its money locally whenever possible, interacts positively with the local surrounding community of people and natural environment, and recycles its water, wastewater and other waste products where possible, so that they become resources for other parts of the community.

     An EcoVillage also provides incentive programs for:
     a. affordable housing, and also a plan where people can work on building their own homes
     b. creating local production enterprises
     c. employee-owned shares in the development corporation whose business is community building
     d. local transportation e. conserving energy, water and other resources

     Basically, an EcoVillage, like an eco-system sustains its primary producers. In an eco-system, the primary producers are usually green plants. In the case of an EcoVillage, the primary producers are its citizens. The greater the degree of community self-sufficiency, the easier it is to calculate that community's level of sustainability.