USDA

An exclusive interview with Gregory Jaffe (former USDA). “The Trump Administration will need to ensure the US has an enabling environment that supports the bioeconomy”

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment

Gregory Jaffe was Senior Advisor for Regulatory Affairs in the Office of the Secretary at USDA during the Biden Administration. He is now Founder and President of a policy consulting firm based in Washington DC, specializing in agriculture, food, environmental, and climate policy, both domestic and international.

In this exclusive interview with Il Bioeconomista, he talks about the prospects for the bioeconomy in the United States under the new Trump Administration and the relations between the United States and the European Union in this new era of tariffs.

“The Trump Administration – Jaffe says – will need to ensure the United States has an enabling environment that supports biotechnology, biomanufacturing, and the bioeconomy”.

Interview by Mario Bonaccorso

Continue reading →

The USDA released a plan to boost biomass supply chain resilience

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment
93CD6606-A84D-4C68-9832-EF7F40AF5969
Joe Biden with former US President Barack Obama

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a plan that will boost biomass supply chain resiliency for domestic biobased product manufacturing, while also advancing environmental sustainability and market opportunities for small and mid-sized producers.

Continue reading →

USDA: Biobased products contributed $489 billion to the U.S. economy in 2021, up from $464 billion in 2020

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment
USDA Vilsack
Tom Vilsack, US Agriculture Secretary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) honored last 8 March the second annual National Biobased Products Day, a celebration to raise public awareness of biobased products, their benefits and their contributions to the U.S. economy and rural communities. “Bioproducts offer opportunities for more revenue streams for small and mid-sized farmers while giving consumers more in-demand, clean options for everyday items.”

Continue reading →

USA launched the Bioproduct Pilot Program funded by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment
93CD6606-A84D-4C68-9832-EF7F40AF5969
Joe Biden with former US President Barack Obama

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for a new pilot program created under President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support the development of biobased products that have lower carbon footprints and increase the use of renewable agricultural materials, creating new revenue streams for farmers. This $10 million investment is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing work to rebuild our infrastructure and create good-paying jobs and economic opportunity in our rural communities.

Continue reading →

USA: The introduction of the COMPOST Act is a major step forward for an activity that restores depleted soils

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment

FCE3DEC8-4FB1-49DA-AFAC-96632CE2E0B6

Without soil there is not agriculture and without agriculture there is not bioeconomy. The USA celebrates the introduction of the Cultivating Organic Matter through the Promotion of Sustainable Techniques (COMPOST) Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. This far reaching new federal bill aims to proactively advance composting infrastructure and support across the country. Specifically, the proposed legislation would amend the Food Security Act of 1985 to officially define and designate composting as a conservation practice and activity. The US Composting Infrastructure Coalition (USCIC), of which the Institute for Local Self-Reliance is a founding member, played a pivotal role in the development of the bill.   

Continue reading →

U.S. BIO: the global economic value of the biobased economy is $355.28 billion

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment

Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a new report on the bioeconomy, “Indicators of the U.S. Biobased Economy”, which measures substantial economic growth, job creation, and household income for the agricultural sector from biofuel and bioenergy production. Moreover, it indicates great potential for additional prosperity from future growth in renewable chemicals and biobased products. BIO, the U.S. Biotechnology Innovation Organization, calculates that the global economic value of the biobased economy – including industrial biotechnology, renewable chemicals and polymers, biofuels, enzymes and biobased materials – is $355.28 billion.

Continue reading →

Tom Vilsack: “The bioeconomy is a catalyst for economic development in rural America”

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment

Tom Vilsack, US Agriculture Secretary
Tom Vilsack, US Agriculture Secretary

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last Monday announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking applications for funding to help support the development of advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals and biobased products.
“The bioeconomy is a catalyst for economic development in rural America, creating new jobs and providing new markets for farmers and ranchers,” Vilsack said. “Investing in the businesses and technologies that support the production of biofuels and biobased products is not only good for farm incomes. The whole economy benefits from a more balanced, diversified and consumer-friendly energy portfolio, less dependence on foreign oil and reduced carbon emissions.”

Continue reading →

Obama Administration announces $21 million to strengthen the bioeconomy

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment

image
Tom Vilsack and Barack Obama

The bioeconomy in the United States of America takes another relevant step forward, investing not only in the development of bioproducts but also in education and training. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) yesterday announced the availability of $21 million to support the development of regional systems in sustainable bioenergy and biobased products, as well as education and training for the next generation of scientists that will expand availability of renewable, sustainable goods and energy. This funding is available through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

Continue reading →

USDA announces: “More than 2,400 products are certified to use the BioPreferred label”

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment

Tom Vilsack, US Agriculture Secretary
Tom Vilsack, US Agriculture Secretary

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released a list of its 2015 top achievements. According to the department, these achievements demonstrate efforts to help farmers and ranchers build the American bioeconomy.

Continue reading →

The contribution of the bio-products industry to the U.S. economy in 2013 was $369 billion

Il BioeconomistaLeave a comment

image
Tom Vilsack, US Agriculture Secretary

The productivity and innovation of U.S. agriculture is driving a transformation to bio-based products across the economy that is supporting millions of jobs and significantly displacing fossil fuels, according to a study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday.

Continue reading →