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Glossary

Term	Definition
Agricultural Materials	Plant, animal, and marine matter, raw materials or residues used in the manufacturing of a commercial or industrial product.
Biobased	Containing renewable plant, animal, marine, and forestry-based resources not derived from fossil fuels such as petroleum.
Biobased Chemical	A chemical derived or synthesized in whole or in part from biological materials.
Biobased Content	A ratio of a product’s new organic carbon to total organic carbon, as measured by the ASTM D6866 test method, expressed as a percentage. Total organic carbon consists of new organic carbon and old organic carbon. New organic carbon is derived from plants and other renewable agricultural materials. Old organic carbon is derived from fossil fuels such as petroleum.
Biobased Product	A product determined by USDA to be a commercial or industrial product (other than food or feed) that is- (A) composed, in whole or in significant part, of biological products, including renewable domestic agricultural materials, renewable chemicals, and forestry materials; or (B) an intermediate ingredient or feedstock. Biobased products are derived from raw materials such as plants and other renewable agricultural, marine, and forestry materials. Biobased products generally provide an alternative to conventional petroleum derived products and include a diverse range of offerings such as lubricants, detergents, inks, fertilizers, and plastics. For the purposes of the BioPreferred Program, biobased products do not include food, feed, or fuel.
Biobased Products Industry	Any industry engaged in the processing and manufacturing of goods from biological products, renewable resources, or agricultural or forestry material. The USDA excludes food, feed, and fuel when referring to the biobased products industry.
Bioeconomy	An economic system that uses renewable biological resources to produce intermediates and final products.
Biogenic Carbon Content	The amount of biogenic carbon (organic and inorganic carbon of renewable origin) in a material or product as a percent of the total carbon in the product.
Biological Product	Products derived from living materials.
Biomass Conversion Facility	A facility that converts or proposes to convert renewable biomass into heat, power, biobased products, or advanced biofuels.
Bioproducts	Chemicals and materials manufactured from renewable biomass through a variety of industrial techniques. Biomass is first broken down into relatively stable chemical building blocks, which are then converted into a wide range of marketable products using a combination of biological, thermal, and chemical processes.
Defined Product Category	Any product category that has been established for a specified grouping of biobased products with similar characteristics and intended uses. A defined product category includes a description of the product characteristics that fall within the category. The “Other” product category is not a defined product category.
Designated Product Category	A grouping of biobased products, including finished products, intermediate ingredients or feedstocks, and complex assemblies, identified in the Register of Designated Categories on the BioPreferred Program website. Certified or qualified biobased products that meet the criteria for at least one designated category are eligible for the procurement preference established under section 9002 of FSRIA.
Intermediate Ingredient/Feedstock	A material or compound made in whole or significant part from biological products, including renewable agricultural materials (including plant, animal, and marine materials) or forestry materials that have undergone value added processing (including thermal, chemical, biological, or a significant amount of mechanical processing), excluding harvesting operations, offered for sale by a manufacturer or vendor and that is subsequently used to make a more complex compound or product.
Non-Renewable Resource	A raw material, such as fossil fuels, that cannot be replenished as fast as it is being consumed.
Qualified Biobased Product	A product that is eligible for preferred federal procurement because it meets the definition and applicable minimum biobased content criteria for one or more designated product categories as specified in the Register of Designated Categories.
Renewable Resource	A raw material or energy form, such as agricultural products or solar energy, that can be replenished at a rate similar to the rate at which it is used.
USDA Certified Biobased Product	A biobased product that has completed the BioPreferred Program's certification steps, achieved third-party verification of biobased content, and has earned USDA certification and approval to display the label.