USDA Designates 20 Biobased Items for Federal Procurement

Submitted by Zebra Mussel on Tue, 08/29/2006 - 21:33.

USDA Designates 20 Biobased Items for Federal Procurement

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23, 2006- The U.S. Agriculgure Department has announced two proposed rules under the Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program, designating 20 items that must receive special consideration by all federal agencies when making purchases.

"The designation of these 20 biobased items is a major step in advancing the federal preferred procurement program for biobased products," said Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns. "When finalized, 1,500 biobased products will be given procurement preference by federal agencies, generating new economic opportunities for biobased product producers and U.S. farmers and ranchers, while providing new choices for U.S. consumers." Full text at the North Coast Green Spieler weblog

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Biobased products offer huge opportunity for Ohio & NEO

Submitted by Norm Roulet on Wed, 08/30/2006 - 05:03.

This is a really interesting posting, ZM - and thanks for pointing me to North Coast Green Spieler... and some much needed NEO environmental activism!

 

If I understand the Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program, it is saying there are 20, soon to be 1,500, products the federal government is designating they want to procure from biobased sources, replacing "processed chemicals" so to speak. I see in the list things like linens and eating utensils. So if Ohio businesses can produce biobased products they will have preferred purchasing status over some chemical-derived product - like hemp towels vs. polyester?!?! As the list seems it will include just about everything the government will needs, it does seem to offer $trillions in opportunity for manufacturers and growers and processors of the core ingredients. That seems like the biggest news of the decade... am I reading this right?

 

From the Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program (FB4P) Site:

 

Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (FSRIA) Launches New Biobased Products Initiative

 

Welcome to the Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement Program (FB4P) website. The opportunity, to promote the use of innovative biobased products, gained a significant boost when FSRIA was signed into law.

The FSRIA provides for development of a preferred procurement program for biobased products under which federal agencies are required to purchase biobased products.

This website is intended to :

  • Provide federal agencies with information that will help them meet requirements to purchase biobased products.
  • Increase awareness of biobased products among manufacturers/vendors, federal agencies, and public consumers.
  • Be a source of information on those biobased products designated for preferred procurement.
  • In the future this site will be the gateway through which manufacturers/vendors of qualifying biobased products can obtain the use of the official “U.S.D.A. Certified Biobased Product” label.

 

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