Congress is working on the Farm Bill. This is our chance to
advance economic development in America's rural communities and ensure our country is a world leader in ag-based bioproduct manufacturing and sustainable innovation.
Help us send a message to lawmakers that the U.S. has the farmers and innovators and now we need the policies.
Support for the ag-based bioproducts industry is crucial to the U.S. economy, environmental sustainability, and American innovation. Two bipartisan bills that can help grow the U.S. ag bioeconomy have already been introduced in Congress:
- The Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act
- The Agriculture Biorefinery Improvement and Opportunity Act (Ag BIO Act)
Send a letter to your lawmakers today and urge them to include the Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act and the Ag BIO Act in the Farm Bill!Dear Legislator,
As your constituent, I urge you to cosponsor H.R. 5134/S. 2452, the Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act, and H.R. 6413/S. 2987, the Ag BIO Act, and to support their inclusion in the Farm Bill.
Today, a diverse range of bioproducts, from bioplastics to biotextiles to renewable chemicals, are made from agricultural feedstocks like corn, soy, hemp, and other oilseeds. Demand for bioproducts is growing, and the global market is increasingly competitive. The Farm Bill represents an important opportunity to ensure the U.S. remains a world leader in the ag bioeconomy.
The Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act would enhance the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) ability to promote the expanding array of ag-based bioproducts to public and private sector buyers by improving USDA's longstanding BioPreferred Program. With this increased support and investment, BioPreferred can benefit America's heartland while also building a more sustainable and circular economy.
The Ag BIO Act would establish a grant program for the development of pilot and demonstration scale biorefineries in the U.S. under USDA's existing Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Products Manufacturing Assistance Program. The U.S. has a shortage of pre-commercial scale biorefineries, which entrepreneurs need to research, develop, and bring new bioproducts to market. The lack of access to this critical infrastructure forces American entrepreneurs to offshore their operations, weakening U.S. competitiveness in the growing biomanufacturing marketplace.
Americans need Congress to support rural development and sustainable solutions, and the ag-based bioproducts industry is the answer. By supporting the Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act and the Ag BIO Act, farmers will have more market opportunities, rural communities will gain good-paying manufacturing jobs, and customers will find more of the biobased products they want.
Americans deserve a thriving economy and sustainable future. Support the Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act and the Ag BIO Act.
Sincerely,
[Name]
