The map below is of the Baltic Sea. Over the last hundred years
its ecosystems have been poisoned almost to death by outputs
from a multitude of industries and farming activities in the
nine countries that surround it. These deadly flows are shown on
the complicated chart beneath. Numerous action plans that
address individual elements of the problem have been launched in
recent decades – but progress in restoring Baltic ecosystems has
been modest at best. What’s really needed is a way for all the
stakeholders involved – municipalities, farmers associations,
research institutes- to collaborate around a shared objective:
bringing the sea back to life. The Baltic Sea is just one
example of a challenge that crops up everywhere. Think about the
food systems of a city; the restoration of a river; the
management of informal waste economies; or the care of older
people. In all such contexts, a variety of different actors and
stakeholders – formal and informal, big and small – need to to
work together. The lesson ever