BIO, Member Companies Urge Congress to Pass Five-Year Farm Bill, Maintain Crucial Language for Renewable Chemicals

WASHINGTON--()--The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and a group of renewable chemical companies and state advocacy organizations today wrote to the chairpersons and ranking members of the House and Senate Committees on Agriculture, urging passage of a five-year Farm Bill that includes the Senate’s language on the Energy Title. Title IX of the Senate-passed version of the Farm Bill (S.954) provides vital mandatory funding to USDA energy programs and grants renewable chemicals companies long-overdue access to the Biorefinery Assistance Program and the Biomass Research and Development Program.

Fifty renewable chemical companies and associated trade organizations signed the first letter, which read in part:

“As leading domestic biomanufacturing businesses and supporting organizations, we urge you to support strong rural energy and biobased economy policies in the Farm Bill conference report. In particular, we ask that you include in the conference report Title IX of the Senate-passed Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013, S. 954, which reauthorizes rural energy and biobased economy programs through 2018, provides $900 million in mandatory funding for core Title IX programs, and makes key policy improvements that will allow the renewable chemical and biobased products sectors to continue on its trajectory of growth.”

BIO separately wrote to the Committee chairpersons and ranking minority members to emphasize the request for a new five-year Farm Bill, rather than another one-year extension:

“The current extension, which was signed into law early in 2013 and will expire on September 30, provides no mandatory funding for Title IX energy programs and contains no key renewable chemical reforms. The lack of certainty associated with a short-term Farm Bill extension is a disincentive to investors and to biotechnology company leaders seeking to make lasting business decisions that will create U.S. jobs and reinvigorate America’s manufacturing sector.”

The Senate-passed Agriculture Reform, Food, and Jobs Act of 2013 (S.954) contains well-thought-out and balanced improvements to: (1) provide long-overdue eligibility to renewable chemicals under the Section 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program and Section 9007 Biomass Research and Development Program; and (2) strengthen the Biobased Markets Program to accelerate market awareness of biomanufacturing technologies.

About BIO

BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIO produces BIOtechNOW, an online portal and monthly newsletter chronicling “innovations transforming our world.” Subscribe to BIOtechNOW.

Upcoming BIO Events

BIO Investor Forum
October 8-9, 2013
San Francisco, CA

BIO IPCC Conference
November 6-8, 2013
Washington, DC

BIO Convention in China
November 11-13, 2013
Beijing, China

Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioenergy
December 8-11, 2013
San Diego, CA

BIO CEO & Investor Conference
February 10 – 11, 2014
New York, NY

BIO Asia International Conference
April 8-9, 2014
Tokyo, Japan

World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology
May 12-15, 2014
Philadelphia, PA

BIO International Convention
June 23-26, 2014
San Diego, CA

Contacts

Biotechnology Industry Organization
Paul Winters, 202-962-9237
Web: www.bio.org
Blog: www.biotech-now.org
Twitter: @IAmBiotech

Release Summary

BIO, state affiliates, and renewable chemical companies wrote letters to the House & Senate Agriculture Committee leaders urging a conference of a 5-year Farm Bill with funding for energy programs.

Contacts

Biotechnology Industry Organization
Paul Winters, 202-962-9237
Web: www.bio.org
Blog: www.biotech-now.org
Twitter: @IAmBiotech