WASHINGTON – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced the publication of nine additional BioPreferred product categories which will now be eligible for Federal procurement preference. This action increases the number of biobased products by 20 percent.
“Increasing the purchase and use of biobased products is a priority of the Obama Administration because it helps increase demand for American agricultural products, while spurring economic development in rural areas,” said Vilsack.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s BioPreferredSM program’s Round 5 finalization adds more than 1,000 biobased products for preferred purchasing consideration by all Federal government agencies, contractors and the Military. There are now approximately 5,600 biobased products available across 42 BioPreferred Designated Items.
The final rule, published in the Federal Register, is part of a series of rules to increase the awareness and sales of biobased products to the Federal government. Round 5 items include: chain and cable lubricants, corrosion preventatives, food cleaners, forming lubricants, gear lubricants, general purpose household cleaners, industrial cleaners, multipurpose cleaners and parts wash solutions.
In addition to passing regulations to increase the number and diversity of BioPreferred designated items for Federal procurement preference, USDA is developing a product label that would appear on qualifying BioPreferred biobased products. When final, this regulation will allow biobased product manufacturers to participate in a voluntary labeling program to identify biobased products for the Federal, commercial and consumer sectors.
Biobased products are composed wholly or significantly of biological ingredients – renewable plant, animal, marine or forestry materials. A BioPreferred designated item is one that meets or exceeds USDA-established minimum biobased content requirements.
The BioPreferred program was created by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (2002 Farm Bill) as a preferred procurement program aimed to increase the purchase and use of biobased products within the Federal government. The Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill) expanded the program’s scope to promote the sale of biobased products in other sectors. BioPreferred is comprised of two programs: a preferred procurement program for Federal agencies and a voluntary labeling program for the broad scale marketing of biobased products. Please contact biopreferred@usda.gov for more information on the Round 5 final rule or the BioPreferred program. A complete list and detailed description of each BioPreferred designated item, and items for future designation, can be found on their website.