B&C® Biobased and Sustainable Chemicals Blog

On June 29, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a final rule revising the technical guidelines for quantifying, reporting, and verifying the carbon intensity (CI) of agricultural commodity crops used in the production of biofuels relative to an estimated national average that were established by a Biden USDA January 2025 interim rule. 91 Fed. Reg. 39334. According to USDA, the January 2025 interim rule established guidelines for the implementation, reporting, verification,...

During a June 16, 2026, Capitol Hill press conference, U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action (USFRA) released a study entitled Fueling Agriculture: Biofuels as the Catalyst. Prepared by S&P Global Energy, the study notes that biofuel demand is decreasing due to vehicle efficiency gains, changing driving patterns, and increased reliance on electric vehicles. According to the study, at current blend rates of around ten percent, U.S. ethanol demand for on-road transportation fuels could fall...

The Council of the European Union (EU) announced on June 16, 2026, that it has agreed on its position on targeted amendments to health legislation that seek to boost innovation in the EU’s biotechnology sector. The European Commission (EC) drafted a directive that would amend two existing directives to streamline the rules on placing certain genetically modified microorganisms (GMM) on the market and to update the rules on organ processing to reflect certain scientific advances. The proposed...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will hold a webinar on June 29, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) to provide technical assistance on the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants (BRAG) program. The program supports the generation of new information that will help federal regulatory agencies make science-based decisions about the effects of introducing genetically engineered (GE) organisms into the environment. These GE organisms include: plants, microorganisms...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a “Fact Check” on May 27, 2026, to “set the record straight” regarding recent claims circulating online that EPA has recently authorized the release of genetically engineered (GE) mosquitoes. EPA states that “[t]hese claims are false.” EPA provides the following facts: A previously issued Experimental Use Permit (EUP) expired in 2024; No releases are currently authorized in the United States; and EPA is not aware of any releases...

On May 21, 2026, Representatives April McClain Delaney (D-MD) and Jay Obernolte (R-CA) introduced the Standards and Calibration for American Leadership in Engineering Biology (SCALE Biology) Act (H.R. 8981). According to McClain Delaney’s May 22, 2026, press release, the bipartisan legislation would establish a new federal program dedicated to biometrology, “an advanced science critical to U.S. leadership in emerging biotechnology, including healthcare innovation, agricultural research,...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on May 19, 2026, that it is extending deregulation to a corn variety, designated as DP51291, developed using genetic engineering for insect-resistance and glufosinate-ammonium tolerance by Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. (Pioneer). APHIS notes that it previously deregulated these traits in another Pioneer corn variety, DP23211 corn. APHIS prepared a Plant Pest Risk Similarity Assessment...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a Request for Information (RFI) on May 15, 2026, to solicit input on regulatory considerations related to the review of modified organisms subject to the Plant Protection Act (PPA). 91 Fed. Reg. 27868. According to the notice, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) wishes to explore alternative frameworks to regulate genetically engineered (GE) organisms under the plant pest provisions of the PPA, “to ensure that...

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will hold a webinar on May 27, 2026, on a November 2025 policy paper, “Synthetic biology, AI and automation: A forward-looking technology assessment,” that lays out a series of concrete cases where these technologies are coming together and how they could develop in the future. According to OECD, the convergence of synthetic biology with artificial intelligence (AI) and automation is accelerating the pace of innovation,...

As reported in our March 5, 2026, blog item, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) is undertaking a factfinding investigation to examine Chinese state support and pricing practices in the biotechnology sector and assess how these practices may be affecting the market share and competitiveness of the U.S. industry. USITC is instituting its investigation, “Impact on U.S. Industry of China’s State Support and Pricing Practices in the Biotechnology Sector” (Inv. No. 332-610),...