White House Executive Order on Biomass/biobased Products Release No. 0332.99. Remarks by As Prepared for Delivery Secretary Dan Glickman White House Executive Order on Biomass/biobased Products Washington, Dc -- August 12, 1999 "Thank you very much. Welcome to USDA. On behalf of Secretary Richardson and Administrator Browner, it's my unique pleasure to welcome President Clinton to the Department of Agriculture. President Clinton has shown tremendous leadership on biobased products and bioenergy. He has also been a strong champion of our department and of farm communities across the country. Welcome, Mr. President. "I also want to acknowledge Mr. John Schechinger, the President of Schechinger Seed Co. of Harlan, Iowa, who's here with his brother Tom and some of their children today. The corn stover that you see out front was driven 26 hours from western Iowa to Washington by Mr. Schechinger. We're grateful for that effort, and we're very happy to that the Schechingers could join us. "As all of you well know, despite the strong national economy, these are the most trying times American farmers and ranchers have faced in over a decade. As we look toward the 21st century, we have to identify and cultivate new opportunities for our farmers. "We are in the middle of a farm crisis. And not just because of the drought that has been in the news the last week or so. Prices for many of our major crops are at 15 to 20 year lows. Farm incomes are declining. The global financial crisis has sent our exports tumbling. More and more farmers are being forced to abandon a livelihood and a tradition that has been in their families, in some cases, for more than a century. "Every day here at USDA, we wrestle with this problem, as we try to come up with new ways to help struggling farm families. The President has announced his support for another emergency assistance package again this year that will throw farmers a multibillion dollar lifeline. And I'm confident that when Congress returns next month, they will pass such a bill. "But financial assistance, as critical as it is, is essentially a quick- fix to a more deep-seated problem -- how to preserve long-term profitability for the American family farmer. And that's where biobased products come in. The President's Executive Order offers farmers the chance to grow new and traditional crops, to help meet the nation's growing energy and industrial product needs. "A recent study shows that bioenergy crop production could increase farm income by $5.5 billion between the years 2000 and 2008. Biobased products will be a key driver of tomorrow's economy. And our farmers, with their innovation and ingenuity, are uniquely positioned to take advantage of this burgeoning market. "We've already seen this work with ethanol. For 20 years now, the federal ethanol program has been a strong investment in rural growth, as well as our natural resources and our national security. Ethanol production has created jobs and increased farm income. As a clean-burning fuel, ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions. It improves automobile engine performance, helps correct our trade imbalance, and reduces our dangerous dependence on foreign oil. "I'd like to see us do even more to promote industrial use of both corn and soybeans in the production of ethanol and other renewable fuels. I'm exploring the possibility of a multi-year program under which USDA would provide additional bushels of corn or soybeans to ethanol plants when they increase their own purchases from one year to the next. "The challenge now is to repeat the ethanol success story. And we at USDA are doing our part to meet that challenge. Our researchers are working with industry on a number of new biobased products, which we hope will come to market soon -- everything from biodegradable lubricants made from oil seeds...to a cornstarch-based absorbent...to a lightweight concrete made from starch. "We have also been aggressive in our outreach efforts. Working with trade associations, partnering with universities, sponsoring workshops and establishing a presence at major conventions, we are letting people know about the potential of biobased products. "Before we move on to the discussion, I want to talk about a few new USDA efforts that will speed the development, commercialization and adoption of these products. "First, I am announcing that there will be a proposed USDA 2001 budget initiative for biobased products and bioenergy. This initiative will commit resources for research, environmental and economic analysis, product development and demonstration, and commercialization assistance. "Second, USDA will offer guidelines for creating a "Biobased Product List" for federal procurement officers. The idea is to encourage government agencies to "buy green", to use vendors that generate products from agricultural materials. We are publishing a notice in the Federal Register for public comment, and we expect that the list will soon be available to federal agencies as well as businesses and private citizens. And just to show you the faith we have in biobased products...the table we are all sitting at today is made of wheat straw, environmentally-friendly and formaldehyde-free. "Third, I'm announcing the purchase of 20,000 gallons of biodiesel fuel for the USDA vehicle fleet. That makes us the first-ever Cabinet agency to authorize such a mass shipment. "This Executive Order and our other biomass initiatives represent the very best of this Administration's sustainable growth philosophy -- the notion that economic growth and environmental stewardship are not mutually exclusive. That they can and must go hand-in-hand. If we all marshal our resources and pool our expertise in the coming years, we can use renewable resources to enhance our energy security and enhance the competitiveness of our farmers in the 21st century. # # #