What is product certification through the BioPreferred® Program?
Through the BioPreferred Program, companies may apply for certification to display the USDA Certified Biobased Product label on a product that states its third-party tested biobased content. The purpose of this label is to make it easy for consumers to identify and compare biobased products for purchase. By choosing a biobased product labeled “USDA Certified Biobased Product,” the consumer can be assured that the USDA and federal government stand behind the accuracy of the percent of biobased ingredients as stated on the label.
The USDA has established minimum biobased content requirements for many product categories. A product must meet or exceed the minimum biobased content percentage in its given category to qualify for certification. Products belonging in categories for which minimum biobased content requirements have not yet been established must contain at least 30% biobased content.
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The BioPreferred Program assures a consumer that a product or package contains a certified amount of biobased content. Consumers can trust the label to mean what it says because the manufacturer’s claims regarding the presence and the amount of biobased content are third-party tested and verified and strictly monitored by USDA.
The goal of the BioPreferred Program is to spur economic development, create new jobs, and provide new markets for farm communities. The increased development, purchase, and use of biobased products reduces our nation’s reliance on petroleum, increases the use of renewable agricultural resources, and contributes to reducing adverse environmental and health impacts.
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The graphic in this label is meant to represent the sun, soil/farm, and aquatic environments. In this example, the:
- product is 57% biobased,
- packaging for the product is 32% biobased, and
- FP on the label indicates that this product “qualifies” for preferred federal purchasing.
The “Percent Biobased Content” is defined as the ratio of new organic carbon to total organic carbon in a product. New organic carbon is derived from plants or other renewable agricultural, marine, and forestry materials. Total organic carbon consists of new organic carbon and old organic carbon, which originates from fossil fuels such as petroleum. This percentage is quantified using ASTM D6866.
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The BioPreferred Program identity is a valuable asset and must be properly used and protected. Participants who have obtained a USDA Certified Biobased Product label for their product must strictly follow the Program Brand and Marketing Guidelines.
Downloading Label Graphic
Once you have been granted certification for a product, you may go to Company Tools and log in to download the graphic files. After login, a table of products will appear. Select the appropriate certified product to download its USDA Certified Biobased Product label.
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The BioPreferred Program was established under section 9002 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 and was amended by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008; the Agricultural Act of 2014; and the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018. USDA first established rules for voluntary labeling in 2011. These rules were updated and published as a Final Rule in the Federal Register in 2025.
Regulations for the BioPreferred Program are at 7 CFR Part 4270
What are Biobased Products?
Biobased products are derived from plants or other renewable agricultural, marine, and forestry materials. These products provide an alternative to conventional petroleum-derived products and include a diverse range of offerings such as lubricants, detergents, inks, fertilizers, and bioplastics. For the purpose of the BioPreferred Program, biobased products do not include food, feed, or fuel.