Agencies Will "Buy Biobased" in New USDA Program The Agriculture Department has published a final rule to implement a procurement preference for biobased products. The program was authorized in the 2002 Farm bill. It requires federal agencies to preferentially purchase biobased products that have been designated by USDA as eligible. The law defines a biobased product as one “that is composed, in whole or in significant part, of … biological products or renewable domestic agricultural materials (including plant, animal, and marine materials) or forestry materials.” “The Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program creates a preference across the entire federal government to purchase biobased products, when practical, based on price, availability and performance,” Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said Jan. 9 at the American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting in Charlotte, NC. “This rule promotes energy independence and the use of environmentally sustainable energy from biological sources, while at the same time creating new demand for agricultural commodities and new business investment and job growth in rural America.” USDA will designate items that are eligible for preferred procurement. The department has set priorities for the product areas it will study for possible designation. Among the top priorities are adhesive/mastic removers; biobased grease; biodegradable films; composite panels; compostable molded products; diesel additives; gasoline additives; hand cleaners/sanitizers; hydraulic fluids (fixed equipment); industrial cleaners; and janitorial cleaners. The full list, along with other information about the program, is available at www.biobased.oce.usda.gov.