U. S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack has sent personal letters and program information to each federal Cabinet official urging agency compliance with the federal BioPreferredSM program, which requires Federal agencies give procurement preference to designated biobased products. “This initiative aims to increase the purchase and use of renewable, environmentally friendly biobased products while providing ‘green’ jobs and new markets for farmers, manufacturers, and vendors…. USDA is committed to the success of the program and will be pleased to support you in your efforts,” wrote Vilsack in his letter to Cabinet members.

Individual Letters

• Department of Commerce
• Department of Defense
• Department of Health & Human Services
• Department of Housing & Urban Development
• Department of the Interior
• Department of Justice
• Department of Labor
• Department of State
• Department of the Treasury

Secretary Vilsack also distributed a factsheet on the BioPreferred program and asked that each Cabinet official share the information with their chief acquisition officer or other senior procurement official. “I encourage you to personally support the BioPreferredSM program and to ensure that your agency’s procurement community is fully engaged in buying and using biobased products,” Vilsack stated.

Click here to see the USDA fact sheet on the BioPreferredSM program that states, “A low-cost, high-return venture, the BioPreferedSM program offers three major benefits:

• Climate change impact reduction. The use of qualifying biobased products reduces the introduction of new fossil carbon into the atmosphere.
• Energy/environmental security. Biobased products replace petroleum products, helping to increase U.S. energy and environmental security and independence. Many biobased products are sustainable, renewable and compostable.
• Economic development. Biobased products create jobs by increasing demand for agricultural forestry materials and by increasing new product development, manufacturing, and ultimately sales.

The United Soybean Board offers a resource center to provide government employees with information about a wide array of biobased products from cleaning products to lubricants to carpet backing and spray foam insulation. Go to: www.soybiobased.org.

For more information on the federal BioPreferredSM program go to www.biopreferred.gov.

The United Soybean Board (USB) is made up of 68 farmer-directors who oversee the investments of the soybean checkoff on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers. As stipulated in the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soybean checkoff.