President Obama Gives Biobased Products a Boost

President Barack Obama has issued a memorandum directing federal agencies to significantly increase procurement of biobased products. The memorandum aims to drive innovation and rural job creation by ensuring the government executes the 2002 BioPreferred program in supporting farm-sourced products (see “USDA Biobased Label Identifies Farm-Grown Content,” EBN Jan. 2011). The memorandum directs agencies to include biobased products—which range from composite panels and erosion control products to toilet cleaners and wood stains—in their Affirmative Procurement and Preferable Purchasing programs and to ensure that 95% of applicable new contracts advance sustainable and biobased acquisition.