Today, USDA kicks off the inaugural National Biobased Products Day, an annual celebration on March 8th intended to raise awareness of the benefits of biobased products. To celebrate National Biobased Products Day and recognize the great work being done to improve sustainability within the Federal Government, USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small announced winners of the USDA BioPreferred® Program’s Excellence in Procurement Award for 2022.

“By designating March 8th as National Biobased Products Day, we’ve created an opportunity for everyone in the bioeconomy to tell the world about how biobased products are made, what they’re made from, their many benefits, and the wide variety of products available for use at home, in the office, on the playground, at construction sites and in federal facilities,” Torres Small said. “Congratulations to all four award winners for reducing their respective agency’s environmental impact by using biobased products and supporting farmers in rural America.”

USDA Rural Development’s BioPreferred Program, created by the 2002 Farm Bill, is the Federal Government’s official advocate and market accelerator for biobased products. Biobased products are derived from plants and other agricultural, marine, and forestry materials. Examples include construction materials made using cashew nut, castor and canola; cleaning products made from sugarcane, agave plants and microbial cultures; and tires made from soy.

The Program’s efforts help to develop new markets for farm commodities, promote U.S. economic development, create manufacturing jobs and reduce our reliance on petroleum. National Biobased Products Day aligns with President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan and his Executive Orders (#14057 and #14081), which focus on making the Federal Government carbon-neutral by 2050 and reducing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by 65% by 2030.