Transcripts and Speeches

FLORENCE, September 16, 2021 – The world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic and its social and economic repercussions. The current global situation underscores the need for us to come together and act urgently and comprehensively to end hunger and poverty, face the challenges of climate...

WASHINGTON, June 14, 2021 — Honorable Chair Kurtyka, Director-General Qu, Distinguished Delegates, Excellencies, and Guests, it is an honor to join colleagues from all over the world in this first-ever virtual meeting of the FAO Conference. These are extraordinary times. As some countries appear to...

Ann, thanks very much for that warm introduction. Ann Bartuska is a highly regarded member of our team at USDA and the Secretary and I value her leadership in the research, education and economics mission area. Thank you, Ann. It's an honor to be part of this conference and USDA once again is a...

One hundred and fifty years ago, in the midst of an epic struggle upon which the fate of our nation and its experiment with a democratic government hung in the balance, our political leaders - led by President Lincoln - created the Department of Agriculture. The establishment of the department, in...