WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2008 - USDA will hold its first BioPreferred Biobased Product Showcase and Training in conjunction with the 2008 General Services Administration (GSA) Expo, April 21-24, 2008, in Anaheim, CA.

Visitors may register for the opportunity to network with over 6,000 Federal and state procurement officials, to learn how to sell to the Federal government, and to learn more about the BioPreferredSM Program. Additionally, biobased product vendors are invited to share limited exhibit space with USDA to showcase products, answer questions from potential customers, and engage vendors seeking to sell biobased products.

USDA's participation in the GSA Expo is one of many steps the USDA is taking to implement the BioPreferred Program. BioPreferred was created by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (FSRIA) to increase the procurement and use of biobased products for federal agencies and their contractors to enable the marketing of biobased products. The BioPreferred program's preference requirements were recently added to the Federal Acquisition Regulations which outline the uniform policies for Federal procurement officials and contractors.

Persons wishing to attend the Showcase and Expo may register directly at www.expo.gsa.gov/registrationVisitor.cfm. Vendors wishing to exhibit with USDA may visit www.biopreferred.gov/ for eligibility or contact Shana Love at Shana.Love@usda.gov or 202-205-4008.