BioPreferred Program to Implement New“Streamlining” Rule

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development issued a final rule on January 8, 2025 to adopt changes from the 2018 Farm Bill that apply to the BioPreferred® Program (formally known as the Biobased Markets Program). Changes include merging guidelines for Designating Biobased Products for Federal Procurement (FP) and the Voluntary Labeling Initiative for Biobased Products into one streamlined regulation.

These changes will simplify the process for designating product categories eligible for federal procurement preference. Product categories can now be added and updated as needed, enabling the Program to respond more quickly to consumer demand and industry advancements.

Additionally, the new rule means that all products will go through the same application and testing process before being listed in the BioPreferred Program Catalog. Previously, there were two separate processes for determining FP eligibility and earning the USDA Certified Biobased Product Label. With a single integrated process, Program requirements will be easier to understand.

Going forward, certified products will be audited and re-tested more frequently to boost the Program Catalog’s integrity––and as a result, increase consumer confidence. There will be a 3-year grace period for current participants to conform to the new rules, with more details and guidance to be released soon.

The full final rule can be found in the Federal Register here. For more information, please go to www.biopreferred.gov.

About BioPreferred

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. 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.