Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the projects receiving funding from its National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Bioproduct Pilot Program. The innovative soy project run by Soylei Innovations of Ames, Iowa, is included in the chosen proposals. The project, supported by ASA and its farmer-leaders, transforms high oleic soybean oil into thermoplastic rubber for pavements.
Soy-based asphalts have the potential to create new markets and repair millions of miles of roads across the country, especially in areas populated by traditionally underserved communities. This is especially important in rural areas where high-quality transportation infrastructure is crucial for moving soybeans from farms to market. The Soylei project speaks to the core mission of the Bioproduct Pilot Program, which was designed to spur economic activity in the nation’s rural areas while lowering commercialization risks associated with bringing biobased products to market.
In a media release from ASA, president Daryl Cates (IL) commented on the merits of the project and ASA’s involvement, saying, “This soy bioproduct has layers of potential, including extending how long road repairs for existing surfaces can last and providing a less costly paving solution nationwide—something even more important in rural communities where tax revenues for road paving and maintenance budgets are scant. We are very proud to have supported both development of the Bioproduct Pilot Program and this soy asphalt project, specifically.”
The NIFA Bioproduct Pilot Program is a two-year program authorized and funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. ASA worked with Senator Mike Rounds (SD) and South Dakota Soy to encourage its inclusion in the legislation. Soy states, universities, and USB were all involved in the steps to get this project selected. Read additional details on that process in ASA’s media release, linked above. More on Soylei Innovations and the other awardees’ projects can be found here
