DES MOINES, Iowa, March 8, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today kicked off the inaugural National Biobased Products Day and highlighted the accomplishments of people and organizations working to improve sustainability. Theresa Greenfield, USDA Rural Development State Director in Iowa, noted the Agency’s achievements in Iowa at a news conference at Landus, a farmer-owned cooperative.
“The BioPreferred® Program is helping address climate change by offering renewable alternatives to petroleum-based products,” said Director Greenfield. “The Biden-Harris Administration is making things happen, and USDA is taking action to foster sustainable practices that create and expand markets for manufacturers and sellers of biobased products. In Iowa, we have seen how biobased industries bring value to rural communities and businesses.”
Director Greenfield was joined at the news conference by the Farm Service Agency State Executive Director in Iowa, the Secretary of Agriculture for the state of Iowa, and the Innovation and Apprenticeship Program Manager from Iowa Economic Development Authority. Representatives from six biobased-product companies also participated in the event and displayed product samples.
National Biobased Products Day is an annual celebration on March 8 to raise awareness of the benefits of biobased products. The day recognizes the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to use the vast array of federal resources to combat climate change and help rural communities address its impacts. The day also aligns with President Biden’s Federal Sustainability Plan and Executive Order #14057, which focuses on making the federal government carbon-neutral by 2050 and reducing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by 65% by 2030.
A key component of these federal sustainability efforts is USDA’s BioPreferred® Program, which Congress created under the 2002 Farm Bill. The program is the Federal government’s official advocate and market accelerator for biobased products.
Rural producers use innovative techniques to create biobased products 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.
Today’s news release amplifies a national USDA announcement to congratulate the winners of the BioPreferred® Program’s “Excellence in Procurement Award” for 2022 for reducing their respective agencies’ environmental impact by using biobased products and championing farmers in rural America.
Contact USDA Rural Development
USDA Rural Development has 11 offices across the state to serve the 1.7 million Iowans living in rural communities and areas. Office locations include a state office in Des Moines, along with area offices in Albia, Atlantic, Humboldt, Indianola, Iowa Falls, Le Mars, Mount Pleasant, Storm Lake, Tipton and Waverly.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas in Iowa, call (515) 284-4663 or visit www.rd.usda.gov/ia. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans, grants and loan guarantees to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.
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