Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spotlighted agricultural innovations during an appearance at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs Monday.

Vilsack stressed the importance of global cooperation in biotechnology innovations. “It’s in our long term best interest as a global community that we encourage appropriate science, that we encourage biotechnology, ways to grow crops with less water, less pesticides, less chemicals,” he said. “In order to do that we have to embrace science, we cannot be afraid of it.”

The secretary talked about the tremendous productivity gains agriculture has made in just the past few decades and how important the field is for the future of the world. “Agriculture is a big deal,” said Vilsack. “It’s a happening place folks and it has the capacity and ability to solve all of the major problems we face.”