USDA Conducts
First BioPreferredSM
Showcase at GSA Expo
Anaheim, CA April
25, 2008 -- The U.S.
Department of Agriculture
held its first BioPreferredSM
Showcase and Training
Sessions in conjunction
with the annual GSA
International Products
and Services Expo
in Anaheim, CA, April
21-24. The Showcase
and Training sessions
educated members of
the Federal acquisition
community to the program
and introduced biobased
product manufacturers
to the over 6000 Federal
buyers in attendance.
USDA Assistant Secretary
for Administration
Boyd Rutherford called
the event "an
unqualified success."
"Although USDA
has an ongoing outreach
program to Federal
buyers, this event
marked the first time
we were able to reach
a massive Federal
audience and to showcase
actual biobased product
vendors," he
said. "We appreciate
GSA allowing USDA
and biobased manufactures
to participate in
this annual event
and were gratified
to see so many people
in attendance at the
BioPreferredSM education
sessions."
USDA also held educational
sessions for the Federal
community. These included
an Overview of the
BioPreferredSM Program,
Measuring Green, and
a Round Table Discussion.
Several Biobased Champion
Case Studies were
presented on: operations,
maintenance and janitorial;
green construction;
greening food service
and cafeteria operations.
Some 15 biobased
product manufacturers
exhibited at the Showcase.
Their products included
bio-lubricants and
oils; bio-polymers
for use in food service
items, wall and roof
coatings, biodegradable
containers, insulation
and padding; degreasers;
payment coatings;
dust control; building
materials; and absorbents.
"These biobased
product exhibitors
at the Showcase are
not yet on the GSA
schedule," Rutherford
explained. "However,
I was very happy to
see several vendors,
who are currently
GSA Schedule Contract
holders, offering
biobased products
participating in the
main Expo program."
BioPreferredSM was
created by the Farm
Security and Rural
Investment Act of
2002 (FSRIA) to increase
the procurement and
use of biobased products
by establishing a
procurement preference
program for Federal
agencies and their
contractors, and a
labeling program to
enable the marketing
of biobased products.
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