When many people think of soybeans, they see a plant that turns over 77 million acres of U.S. cropland a lush green in the summer months, and cargo ships filled with soybeans on their way to customers around the country and around the globe. But many soybeans become more than food products and animal feed consumed all over the world. Some are destined to become sustainable solutions that can be found in offices, cars and homes far from their origin in the farm fields of the United States.
The American Soybean Association (ASA) advocated for a program in the 2002 Farm Bill that requires each federal agency to give preference to the purchase of biobased products, many of which are made with soy, including everything from construction materials to bathroom cleaners. New uses for the soybean are still being discovered, and thanks to the BioPreferred Procurement Program, government agencies can take advantage of environmentally-friendly products.
The benefits of the BioPreferred program include energy and environmental security and economic development. It also creates demand for homegrown, renewal products, and in some instances, reduces our dependence on foreign petroleum. The program was updated and expanded in the 2008 Farm Bill to increase the use of biobased products. The program requires each federal agency, when searching for new janitorial materials such as floor and glass cleaners, or even hand sanitizers to put on top of the office water cooler, to give preference to the purchase of biobased products designated by the Secretary of Agriculture.
ASA has also championed implementation of the biobased label, which encourages buyers to purchase products made from biobased materials, including soy products. The label, designating a "U.S.D.A. Certified Biobased Product," helps distinguish true biobased products and pulls them into the market.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has identified over 30 biobased product categories that cover over 2,500 individual products, ranging from lip care products to disposable cutlery.
From time to time, the Secretary of Agriculture will look over the list and may revise it to designate items which are produced with biobased products and to provide information as to the availability, price, and environmental and public health benefits of the materials and items. A January 2010 publication from the BioPreferred program, found at www.biopreferred.gov, designates the minimum biobased content required for federal purchase of such products.
As the policy voice of U.S. soybean farmers, ASA has led the charge to create new markets for soybeans and soybean products. ASA's farmer-leaders often visit Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers and discuss important soybean legislation. Next time they're in the office of a Senator or Congressman in Washington, D.C., they will only have to point down to the soy-based carpet backing on the floor to prove just how important the oilseed is.
