Bio-Based Economy: The New Industrial Revolution In recent years, the U.S.

and other countries have taken significant steps to mo ve away from fossil-fuel based economic systems to sustainable economies based o n biomass. In the new economy, renewable biomass, such as crops, wood, seaweed, an d animal waste, provides source materials required for the production of fuel, c hemicals, consumer and industrial products -- bio-products made in whole or part from biomass. Los Angeles, CA, US, August 17, 2012 -- A significant portion of agricultural re sources used to make the feedstock or intermediate ingredients for bio-products includes corn, soybeans, flax, jute and kenaf. These crops provide serve as feed stock for the manufacturing of intermediate products, such as polymers, plastics , chemicals, films, foams and cellulose fibers. Manufacturers use intermediate products to make complex goods for the industrial and consumer markets. Bio-products span a diverse range of items, from paints, plastics and building insulation to shampoo, lip care and laundry detergents. Certification of Bio-Based Products Continuous gains in scientific and technological research make the bio-based pro ducts one of the fastest growing segments in the economy. The potential for the development of bio-based products offers tremendous growth opportunities across nearly every industrial sector. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has divided bio-products into nine cat egories. Each product or package under a given category has to meet a minimum bi o-based content standard to receive the USDAs Certified Bio-based Product. The st andard represents a minimum percentage of biomass content, such as 11% for lip b alm or 72% for disposable dinner plates. If the category does not have a minimum bio-based content requirement, the produ ct or package must contain a minimum of 25% bio-based content when applying for labeling. As of March 2012, the USDA has approved more than 670 products from over 200 com panies and has about 1,100 applications awaiting bio-based product certification . Federal Support for Bio-Product Industries In August 2011, the White House Rural Council began introducing a wide range of initiatives intended to expand the market for bio-based products and support bus inesses. To help rejuvenate rural communities in the U.S. President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum, which promotes the creation of jobs through the purc hase of bio-products through federal procurements. The Federal government spends about $400 billion on goods and services annually. So far, Uncle Sam has committed $350 million in Small Business Administration f inancing for bio-based business start-ups in rural areas. Companies Tie Futures to Bio-Products Many large corporations have invested in certain bio-based segments to enhance t heir product lines and reduce carbon footprints. For example, Coke (KO) and Peps i (PEP) have in their pipeline bio-based products made of 100 percent sugarcane and other crop materials. Goodyear (GT) and DuPont (DD) have collaborated on the development of a bio-base d alternative for petroleum-derived isoprene called BioIsoprene -- a substitute u sed to produce synthetic rubber for tires, adhesives, golf balls, and other prod ucts.

Bio-based plastic Cereplast, Inc. (CERP) specializes in bio-plastic technology. The company uses from starch-based sustainable plastics, derived from corn, whea t, potatoes and tapioca, to design and manufacturer bio-based products. Northern Technologies International Corporation (NTIC) also develops bio-based substitut es for traditional plastics. Privately held Cargill introduced bio-based polyols, a soybean derivative, into the foam market in 2005. Cargill recently opened a $22 million world-scale bio-bas ed polyol production manufacturing facility in Chicago, Illinois. Mlama Composites out of San Diego, California also manufactures a line of bio-bas ed polyols foams called Studio BioFoam and AinaCore. The company advertizes its St udio BioFoam as the first such product designed for artists, sculptors and the ind ustrial design community. Manufacturers can utilize conventional fabrication procedures when working with Mlama Composites foam products. The non-toxic bio-based foams have a wide variety of applications across diverse industries, including building materials, transp ortation, industrial and consumer products. Some bio-based products manufactured from foam include surfboards, toys, furniture, building insulation and automobi le components. GIS Research predicts strong growth in global demand for foam insulation used to build more energy-efficient buildings, especially the EU and Asia-Pacific regio n.Mlama Composites bio-based foam products have helped positioned this three-year old company to expand and thrive along with a bio-based economy still in the emb ryonic stage of development. Contact: Jessica Growth Equities 8605 Santa Monica Blvd #87596 Los Angeles, CA 90069-4109 415 937 8489 Info@growthequities.tv http://www.growthequities.tv