USDA Leads Efforts to Streamline Procurement of Biobased Products
News Date November 14, 2007
Acting Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Conner said last week that USDA is updating the federal procurement of biobased products under the BioPreferred Program. The update will clarify the preference process in the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), which will in turn make it easier for procurement officials and manufacturers to participate in the program. These regulations are the single most important guidelines to procurement officials and contractors.
The BioPreferred program, managed by USDA, requires federal buyers and their contractors to give preference to qualified biobased products. The program was enacted as part of the 2002 farm bill. Biobased products are made from agricultural, forestry or marine materials. USDA's Assistant Secretary for Administration and the Office of the Chief Economist are jointly responsible for the USDA's procurement activities and BioPreferred implementation.
In September, NASDA was one of 12 organizations and companies that wrote to Conner calling on the USDA to roll out the federal biobased procurement labeling program and issue final rules to designate more biobased items. In the letter the groups said that the immediate implementation of the biobased labeling program is vitally important to the overall BioPreferred Program as well as overall efforts of biobased products. Among the groups signing the letter were the American Soybean Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, and Renewable Fuels Association.
According to USDA research, more than 10,000 biobased products are commercially available for purchase. USDA rulemaking will seek to speed the qualification of as many of these products as possible for federal procurement preference. To review the new BioPreferred program or for more information visit http://www.biopreferred.gov. Note: BioPreferred is service marked (SM). (Contact: Jennifer Yezak)