The Biotechnology Innovation Organization says the next farm bill offers opportunities to invest in long-term food security, climate resiliency, and growing the national bio-economy. The group has submitted recommendations to the agriculture committees in both chambers of Congress as they work on writing the new legislation.
“A farm bill centered on innovation stands to incentivize the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and practices, resulting in benefits to the environment and rural economies,” says Beth Ellikidis, BIO’s vice president of agriculture and environment.
Among their recommendations, they say they’d like increased funding for the Biobased Markets or BioPreferred Program, which directs federal agencies to increase their biobased and renewable product purchases. They’d like to see Congress increase funding and make administrative improvements to the federal program to help build or retrofit facilities to produce advanced biofuels, renewable chemicals, and other biobased products. Among several other recommendations, BIO wants streamlined regulations for biotechnologies.
