Would You Buy Low-Carbon Biobased Products?

The USDA thinks you would.

Recently the USDA proposed a voluntary labeling program that enables consumers to identify which products are made using biotechnology. This means that the products contain a significant proportion of renewable materials or are made from biobased ingredients.

The program identifies as many as 2400 new products from 562 companies.

The labeling program falls under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's BioPreferred program which includes a preferred procurement program for Federal agencies and their contractors.

The site lists a searchable database for products.

On the US Dept. of Agriculture's BioPreferred website, they list a number of success stories on biobased products that range from aircraft soap to hydraulic fluids. To read these stories click here

The Biotechnology Industry Organization, which represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the U.S. sees the labeling program as a way to "spur development of new low-carbon goods and materials made from renewable resources."