Defined by the 2002 Farm Bill, biobased products are commercial or industrial products (other than food or feed) that are composed in whole, or in significant part, of biological products, renewable agricultural materials (including plant, animal, and marine materials), or forestry materials. The 2008 Farm Bill extended the definition of biobased products to include biobased intermediate ingredients or feedstocks.

USDA has established minimum biobased content standards for many product categories. A product or package must meet or exceed the minimum biobased content percentage in its given category in order to use the Certified Biobased Product label.

Where USDA has not established minimum biobased content standards for a product category, companies may apply for the Certified Biobased Product label if the product or package contains a minimum of 25% biobased content.