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Introduction



Dear CliMates,
CliMates Delegates, Ambassadors, and members of the Central Organization,
 
It is with great pleasure that I announce to you that the prompt for Collaborative Research Session One has been selected. 
 
I would first like to thank the 55 CliMates from all over the world who participated in this selection, and to all of you who participated in the preselection of the research prompts. CliMates is a collaborative association, and as we become bigger and bigger, we will continue to find original ways to have all CliMates participate in the design and the direction of our research. 
 
With 23 votes - one more vote than prompt number 2 on energy efficiency, and two votes ahead of prompt number 3 on climate justice - the axis of Collaborative Research Session One will be:
 
How could the agricultural sector become more conducive towards climate change mitigation and adaptation?

Agriculture is a key driver of climate change. According to the FAO, animal agriculture alone accounts, from feed crops to shipment, for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Projected agriculture-related emissions area leading us towards a temperature increase well above 2 degrees Celsius. 
 
Agriculture is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, in varying ways across regions of the world, and there is obviously a dire need for adaptation. The IPCC projected that rain-fed agriculture in Africa could be reduced by 50% by 2020, and all regions of the world will likely be threatened by decreased productivity due to drought, fires, pressures on natural resources among other climate change related factors.  
 
This problem is a challenge for all countries, that is both precise and wide enough in scope. It will always and increasingly be essential in the context of climate change's impacts, with an estimated global population of 9 billion people in 2050, a projected heightened food insecurity and the necessity of cleaner economic development. 
 
The agricultural sector, in the context of climate change, requires immense attention in the present, and in the near and distant future. There could not be a better suited issue for CliMates to investigate, and for which to find solutions, starting now. 
 
There are ways to adapt and lessen the severity of these problems. There are ways for each of us, each CliMate and each CliMates delegation, to come up with innovative, yet realistic and feasible solutions. 
 
If every delegation delves into the political, economic, legal, and social contexts... at local, regional and national levels...

If we, all CliMates, propose different solutions, different angles, different approaches...

We can come up with solutions that involve several, many, or even all countries, and that could be implemented at an international level.
 
Let us tackle this issue. Let us research together. 
 
We are CliMates. 
 
This is what we do. 
 
This is why the Network Team is spending countless hours a day building our network.

This is why the Partnership Team is gathering more and more support for our mission.

This is why the Webmasters are designing from scratch a system that will allow us to interact productively and creatively.

This is why the Central Research Team is preparing, as we speak, to participate in and to contribute to CliMates' research, and to be inspired, along with all CliMates, by the work we are all going to produce. 

This is why all CliMates and its central organization will work tirelessly and do everything in their power to ensure that the work that we do, the texts that we write, the discussions, debates and negotiations that we engage in... 

Will be presented, heard about, considered, and have an impact on negotiators at the next COPs and on political decision makers at all scales!
 
Because this is an issue, that all of you have demonstrated by becoming CliMates to agree on, is NOT yet being treated properly, NOT yet benefitting from the adequate designs and willingness of international cooperation, NOT yet moving forward fast enough...
 
And we are going to give our insight, now. 
 
Let's go! 
 
CliMates Collaborative Research Session One has started. 
 
Let's have some fun. 
Let's show what students can do together. 
Let's show what CliMates can do together.
 
Let's begin. 
 
 
Climatically yours,
Henri Landes
CliMates  President
 


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