Harnessing Wicked Problems in Multi-stakeholder Partnerships

Despite the burgeoning literature on the governance and impact of cross-sector partnerships in the past two decades, the debate on how and when these collaborative arrangements address globally relevant problems and contribute to systemic change remains open. Building upon the notion of wicked problems and the literature on governing such wicked problems, this paper defines harnessing problems in multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) as the approach of taking into account the nature of the problem and of organizing governance processes accordingly. The paper develops an innovative analytical framework that conceptualizes MSPs in terms of three governance processes (deliberation, decision-making and enforce-ment) harnessing three key dimensions of wicked problems (knowledge uncertainty, value conflict and dynamic complexity). The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil provides an illustrative case study on how this analytical framework describes and explains organizational change in partnerships from a problem-based perspective. The framework can be used to better understand and predict the complex relationships between MSP governance processes, systemic change and societal problems, but also as a guiding tool in (re-)organizing governance processes to continuously re-assess the problems over time and address them accordingly

A review of formal objections to Marine Stewardship Council fisheries certifications

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) was created as a conservation tool – intended to provide “the best environmental choice in seafood” to consumers and to create positive incentives that would improve the status and management of fisheries. During its 15 years, the MSC, which has an annual budget of close to US$20 million, has attached its logo to more than 170 fisheries. These certifications have not occurred without protest. Despite high costs and difficult procedures, conservation organizations and other groups have filed and paid for 19 formal objections to MSC fisheries certifications. Only one objection has been upheld such that the fishery was not certified. Here, we collate and summarize these objections and the major concerns as they relate to the MSC’s three main principles: sustainability of the target fish stock, low impacts on the ecosystem, and effective, responsive management. An analysis of the formal objections indicates that the MSC’s principles for sustainable fishing are too lenient and discretionary, and allow for overly generous interpretation by third-party certifiers and adjudicators, which means that the MSC label may be misleading both consumers and conservation funders

Sustainability of current GM crop cultivation : Review of people, planet, profit effects of agricultural production of GM crops, based on the cases of soybean, maize, and cotton

This report adresses the question whether the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops abroad for import in the Netherlands, as compared to the cultivation of their conventional (non-GM) counterparts, is in line with Dutch policy and societal aims striving after more sustainable forms of agriculture worldwide and the utilization of the benefits offered by biotechnology in a responsible manner. Three crops were selected as case study objects: sybean, maize and cotton. The sustainability of GM and non-GM crop production was compared with each other based on a review of scientific and other literature. This comparison followed characteristics and criteria associated with the sustainability concept of 'people, planet, profit'

Duurzaamheid van de huidige genetisch gemodificeerde gewassen : effecten van de teelt van genetisch gemodificeerde soja, maïs en katoen op People, Planet en Profit (mens, milieu en economie)

Deze studie richt zich op genetische modificatie bij gewassen. Wereldwijd werden in 2010 op meer dan 140 miljoen hectare GG-gewassen verbouwd. Dit is ongeveer 70 maal het totale Nederlandse landbouwareaal. Het gaat met name om de handelsgewassen soja, maïs, katoen en koolzaad. Twee GG gewassen zijn ondertussern in de EU toegelaten voor teelt, namelijk maïs dat resistent is tegen bepaalde insecten en een aardappel met een verhoogd zetmeel gehalte

Duurzaamheid van de huidige genetisch gemodificeerde gewassen : effecten van de teelt van genetisch gemodificeerde soja, maïs en katoen op People, Planet en Profit (mens, milieu en economie)

Deze studie richt zich op genetische modificatie bij gewassen. Wereldwijd werden in 2010 op meer dan 140 miljoen hectare GG-gewassen verbouwd. Dit is ongeveer 70 maal het totale Nederlandse landbouwareaal. Het gaat met name om de handelsgewassen soja, maïs, katoen en koolzaad. Twee GG gewassen zijn ondertussern in de EU toegelaten voor teelt, namelijk maïs dat resistent is tegen bepaalde insecten en een aardappel met een verhoogd zetmeel gehalte