The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of $21 million to support the development of regional systems in sustainable bioenergy and biobased products, as well as education and training for the next generation of scientists that will expand availability of renewable, sustainable goods and energy. This funding is available through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).
“This announcement marks the Obama Administration’s latest investment in the biobased economy, which pumps $369 billion into the U.S. economy each year and supports 4 million jobs in rural and small towns across the United States. Over the course of this Administration, America has more than doubled our renewable energy production, and today we import less than half our oil. We are saving money at the pump, bolstering national security by relying less on foreign oil, and combatting climate change with investments in technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide for cleaner air,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Today’s investment into regional production systems and the development of our next generation of scientists will have a direct impact on local economies now and set us up for a brighter, more innovative future.”
Secretary Vilsack has recognized the biobased economy as one of the pillars that strengthen rural communities, and as a result USDA helped jumpstart efforts to provide a reliable supply of advanced plant materials for biofuels. Through the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, for example, USDA is incentivizing more than 890 growers and landowners farming nearly 49,000 acres to establish and produce dedicated, nonfood energy crops for delivery to energy conversion facilities. To ensure those feedstocks are put to use, USDA has invested in the work needed to create advanced biofuels refineries. Under this Administration, USDA has supported efforts to build six new biorefineries to produce advanced biofuels in Louisiana, Georgia, Oregon, Nevada, North Carolina, and Iowa, in addition to three existing facilities in New Mexico, Michigan and Florida previously supported.
USDA has also worked to strengthen markets for biobased products. Approximately 2,500 products now carry USDA’s BioPreferred label, which helps consumers make informed decisions about their purchases, giving them assurances that their product was made using renewable materials, such as plants or forestry materials.
Based on the press release by Office of Communications, United States Department of Agriculture
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