USDA Certified Biobased

Our read

This label measures one number, and it measures it well. ASTM D6866 uses carbon-14 dating to separate new organic carbon from fossil organic carbon, an ASTM-certified third-party laboratory runs the test, results go directly to USDA as well as to the applicant, and USDA audits certified products and re-tests them. That is a stronger verification chain than most voluntary marks. What it verifies is a content percentage and nothing else. USDA says so itself: the label is not a guarantee or warranty of safety or an expression of environmental preference or impact, and the programme describes itself as single-attribute. Nothing in the standard reaches how the feedstock was grown, whether the land was cleared for it, whether the product biodegrades, what chemicals are in it, or what its carbon footprint is. USDA even states that a higher biobased percentage does not indicate superior performance, safety or environmental impact. Note also that the percentage is of organic carbon with water and inorganic carbon excluded, so a 60% biobased product is not 60% plant matter by weight. Outside the 143 designated federal purchasing categories the floor is only 25%.

The scheme

What we read

USDA BioPreferred Program voluntary labeling initiative as published July 2026, applying ASTM D6866 as cited in 7 CFR part 3201.7; statutory basis Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018

• the label is not an environmental claim — The USDA Certified Biobased Product label is not a guarantee or warranty of safety or an expression of environmental preference or impact.
• single-attribute programme — The BioPreferred Program is a single-attribute program that focuses exclusively on biobased content.
• higher percentage does not mean better — More renewable organic carbon does not necessarily indicate superior performance, safety, or environmental impact.
• third-party testing to ASTM D6866 cited in federal law — products are tested for biobased content by an ASTM-certified third party lab to verify the biobased content in the product using ASTM D6866. The standard is cited in federal law (7 CFR part 3201.7)
• 25% minimum outside designated categories — Products that do not fall under one of these product categories must be at least 25% biobased.
• routine audits — USDA will routinely audit USDA Certified Biobased Products and Packaging to ensure that these products and packaging contain the biobased content that is displayed on the label.
• cost_range — there is no fee for manufacturers or distributors to participate in the Program, certification, labeling, or application process... Product testing is completed using ASTM D6866, which costs approximately $400 USD per sample, plus shipping
• feedstock need not be US-grown — No. Companies from more than 50 countries participate
• measurement basis excludes water and inorganic carbon — the ratio of a product's new organic carbon to total organic carbon... Water and inorganic carbon (such as carbonate) are excluded.

What we could not establish

Could not establish a published certification validity term or fixed renewal interval; the programme relies on routine audits with periodic re-testing rather than a stated expiry. Could not locate a published register of revoked or suspended certifications, which caps enforcement at 3 despite the federal statutory basis and documented audit programme. Could not establish the frequency of routine audits or the share of certified products audited in a given year. The test-exempt application route for resellers relying on a manufacturer's shared certification is documented in the FAQ but its conditions and prevalence were not established.

Who holds it

Scored companies carrying this mark, highest first. Holding it is not the same as scoring well — the mark is one input of six.

If you hold this certification, it is already on your record. What a buyer cannot see there yet is the evidence behind the parts this standard does not reach.

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