The Farm Bill offers opportunities to bolster USDA’s support of the agriculture bioeconomy and the farmers, businesses, researchers, and consumers who contribute to its innovation and growth. Over 40 organizations signed on to a letter in support of bipartisan, bicameral H.R. 5134/S. 2452, the Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act and H.R. 6413/S. 2987, the Agricultural Biorefinery Innovation and Opportunity (Ag BIO) Act.

The Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act would enhance USDA’s ability to promote ag-based bioproducts by improving the longstanding BioPreferred Program. The Ag BIO Act would strengthen USDA’s Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program by streamlining the loan guarantee program and re-establishing a grant program to support the development of pre-commercial scale biorefineries, ensuring that ag-based bioproduct jobs and American innovation can grow in the U.S.

March 14, 2024

Dear Chairman Thompson, Chairwoman Stabenow, Ranking Member Scott, and Ranking Member Boozman:

As the House and Senate Committees on Agriculture work to reauthorize the Farm Bill, we write to express our strong support for the inclusion of the Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act (S.2452/H.R. 5134) and the Agricultural Biorefinery Innovation and Opportunity (Ag BIO) Act (S.2987/H.R.6413) in the 2024 Farm Bill. These bipartisan bills would enhance key U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs that support American farmers and the agricultural bioeconomy, strengthen domestic biobased product manufacturing, and spur American innovation.

USDA estimates that, in 2021, the biobased products industry contributed over $489 billion in value to the U.S. economy and supported nearly 4 million jobs. However, this only scratches the surface of what the ag bioeconomy could mean to America. The Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act and the Ag BIO Act would unleash the potential of two pivotal Farm Bill programs – the Section 9002 BioPreferred Program and the Section 9003 Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Products Assistance Program. Together, these bipartisan bills would encourage federal procurement of biobased products, de-risk innovation for US biomanufacturing and biorefining, support domestic renewable energy production, and strengthen biomanufacturing supply chains across the country.

Strengthening these pivotal Farm Bill programs will benefit rural communities across the country by creating additional on-farm revenue potential, boosting ag-based manufacturing, and generating thousands of good-paying jobs across the country in manufacturing, distribution, sales, and more. Additionally, the bipartisan Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act and the Ag BIO Act will bolster U.S. national security by providing meaningful support for the domestic bioeconomy, providing the U.S. biomanufacturing industry with the tools necessary to compete in global markets, and reducing American dependence on foreign inputs.

We encourage you to support the Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act and the Ag BIO Act to ensure that the Farm Bill includes these vital measures to strengthen our national ag bioeconomy.

Thank you for kind consideration,