Farm Bill Legislative Side-By-Side

The document provides a legislative side-by-side analysis of the BioPreferred® Program, a USDA-managed initiative designed to increase the use of bio-based products to support economic development and replace fossil fuel-based materials. It details current mandatory and voluntary requirements for federal agencies and outlines proposed changes from the House version of the Farm Bill, particularly regarding reporting, accountability, and funding extensions through 2029.

• The BioPreferred® Program aims to stimulate economic growth and create new markets for farm commodities by increasing the purchase of bio-based products, which are materials derived from renewable agricultural, marine, and forestry sources.
• Bio-based products serve as sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel-based plastics; a 2021 USDA report indicated that the industry supported 4.6 million jobs in 2017, added $470 billion to the economy, and displaces 9.4 million barrels of oil annually.
• Current law requires federal procuring agencies to establish procurement programs and give preference to items with the highest practicable percentage of bio-based content, provided the items are reasonably available, meet performance standards, and are priced reasonably.
• The House version of the Farm Bill proposes expanded reporting requirements for procuring agencies, including the need to report specific categories of unavailable bio-based products, desired performance characteristics, and explanations for failing to meet procurement requirements.
• The House proposal introduces a new 'Accountability' section requiring the Office of Federal Procurement Policy to annually document which agencies have established procurement programs and make this information public.
• The House version suggests extending both mandatory and discretionary funding of $3 million per year for the BioPreferred® Program through fiscal year 2029, whereas current law's authorization for discretionary funding ended in 2023.
• The House version proposes expanding the development of industry codes to include North American Products Classification System (NAPCS) codes alongside NAICS codes for bio-based product and renewable chemical manufacturers.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2024). Farm Bill Legislative Side-By-Side. https://www.eesi.org/files/Side-by-Side-Farm-Bill-2024-BioPreferred-Program.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Farm Bill Legislative Side-By-Side. 2024. https://www.eesi.org/files/Side-by-Side-Farm-Bill-2024-BioPreferred-Program.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Farm Bill Legislative Side-By-Side |date=18 June 2024 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/Side-by-Side-Farm-Bill-2024-BioPreferred-Program.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2024farm, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Farm Bill Legislative Side-By-Side}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2024}, month = jun, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/Side-by-Side-Farm-Bill-2024-BioPreferred-Program.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }