The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a $9.5 million investment to support the growth of sustainable bioproduct production in the United States. Three successful projects are supported by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Bioproducts Pilot Program, which supports the research and development of valuable products from agricultural commodities.
Authorized and supported by the Infrastructure Investment and Employment Act, the Bioproducts Pilot Program provides a unique opportunity to stimulate economic activity in the country’s rural areas while reducing the market risk associated with the market for bio-based products.
The program’s research on bioproducts supports USDA’s efforts to create circular bioeconomies, where crops are harvested, consumed, and recycled in a sustainable manner. This pilot program also supports the goals outlined by President
U.S Bioeconomy
Biden’s recent Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure U.S. Bioeconomy.
“Adopting a circular economy creates wealth and other economic benefits in the form of more jobs and opportunities created and maintained in rural areas,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak. “We must encourage and support practices like these because that’s what consumers want – and what farmers and our world want.”
The three winners are:
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, for a project that proposes converting food waste into polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biodegradable bioplastics
- The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, for a project that proposes turning hog feed and other animal feed into asphalt biobinders that improve the quality of recycled asphalt pavement
- Soylei Innovations, of Ames, Iowa, for a project that proposes turning high oleic acid soybean oil into thermoplastic pavement rubber, which can potentially extend the life of existing surface repairs.
“Each of the proposed projects involves collaboration with universities and companies that can make the difference between production and the market produce stronger, more effective products,” said Dr. Dionne Toombs, Executive Director of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden in November 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a revolutionary and historic investment for America to rebuild our nation’s physical infrastructure and expand the economy for decades to come, creating a bond that pays well. Jobs and better positions in the United States to compete in the global economy.
