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Plant Based Products Council Advocates for A More Competitive Policy Environment for Bioproducts
In response to the Office of Science and Technology Policy’s (OSTP) request for information (RFI), PBPC outlined top policy priorities looking ahead
January 30, 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Jan. 20, the Plant Based Products Council (PBPC) submitted comments in response to the Dec. 20, 2022, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s (OSTP) request for information (RFI) on the National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative. In response to the OSTP’s inquiries on how the U.S. government can better support the private sector to grow the bioeconomy, PBPC reinforced the need for more robust investments, incentives, technological optimization, and infrastructure development.
“For too long petroleum-based products have had the upper hand with decades of government investments and market optimization, and it’s critical that policymakers prioritize the bioeconomy as we move the needle on collective climate action,” said PBPC Executive Director Jessica Bowman. “Plant-based products offer a circular future – it is imperative that the U.S. government creates a policy environment that allows this industry to thrive.”
Among some of the key points raised in its comments, PBPC highlighted the need for more data on bioproducts to help increase understanding of their full environmental benefits. Revisions to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes, which are long overdue and necessary to demonstrate the bioproducts industry’s economic contributions, should also be prioritized. Additionally, modernization and increased funding of the BioPreferred Program should be a focus for the federal government.
To accelerate domestic bioproduct manufacturing, PBPC pointed to the need for more robust scale-up infrastructure. Today, there is very limited capacity for demonstration scale testing, forcing many companies to turn to facilities in Europe and the APAC region, which can still carry a significant wait time.
PBPC’s full comments can be viewed HERE.
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The Plant Based Products Council (PBPC) is a group of like-minded organizations working to guide the global economy toward more sustainable and responsible consumer products and packaging through greater use of plant-based materials. Learn more at https://pbpc.com/.