On September 12, 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration announced key steps to advance biotechnology and biomanufacturing in the United States through the Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation for a Sustainable, Safe, and Secure American Bioeconomy. USDA supports the development of circular bioeconomies, where agricultural resources are harvested, consumed, and regenerated in a sustainable manner. This approach can also create new revenue streams for agricultural producers and ensure that wealth and other economic benefits in the form of jobs and other opportunities are created, and stay, in rural communities.
USDA released a fact sheet outlining the Department’s 2023 bioeconomy accomplishments (PDF, 128 KB), which include $772 million in investments for research, development and infrastructure involving biofuels, fertilizer production, crop innovations, biobased products and more.
Enabling the American Bioeconomy Through Building a Resilient Biomass Supply
President Biden's Executive Order charged USDA with delivering a plan to support the resilience of the U.S. biomass supply chain for domestic biomanufacturing and biobased product manufacturing, while also advancing food security, environmental sustainability, and the needs of underserved communities. Secretary Vilsack announced the report, “A Plan to Enable the Bioeconomy in America: Building a Resilient Biomass Supply (PDF, 2.8 MB),” in March 2024.
In developing the Plan, USDA consulted with public stakeholders — as well as federal partners in the Departments of Defense, Energy, Commerce, and Transportation, as well as the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
This plan begins with an assessment of the biomass availability and current uses and includes a detailed analysis of biomass supply chain systems, revealing considerations – climate change, food security, environmental justice, and others – that could affect biomass availability. Finally, the Plan presents recommendations for programs, research, development, and demonstration, and policies that could increase biomass availability, build supply chain systems resilience, and expand the use of domestic biomass within the bioeconomy.
Alongside the Plan, USDA released an Implementation Framework (PDF, 196 KB) that identifies actions USDA will take in the next year to increase the resiliency of the biomass supply chain.
The National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative
The Biden-Harris Administration launched the National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative, informed by a September 2022 Executive Order, to advance American biotechnology and biomanufacturing in health, climate change, energy, food security, agriculture, supply chain resilience, and national and economic security. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is working with agencies across the federal government on reports and strategies on strengthening America’s bioeconomy, and supporting the nation’s innovation ecosystem. OSTP has released a new report, co-authored by USDA, called Harnessing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Research and Development (R&D) to Further Societal Goals (PDF, 2.4 MB). The report outlines a vision for what is possible with the power of biotechnology and biomanufacturing, and R&D needs to achieve this ambitious vision. Visit the OSTP website for more, and learn more about USDA’s role in bioeconomy planning and policy at USDA’s Office of Energy and Environmental Policy.