169 



The AltoTiative Agricultural Research &, 

 Commercialization (AARC) Center is a 

 separate entity within the US Dq)artment 

 of Agriculture. Policy and program direc- 

 tion is provided by a nine-person Board of 

 Directors-eight of whom are non-federal- 

 -representing processing, financial, producer and scientific 

 interests. The mission of the AARC Center is to assist the 

 private sector in closing the gap between research results 

 and commercialization of industrial (non-food, non-feed) 

 products frwn farm and forestry materials. 



The national office of the AARC Cen- 

 ter is located in Washington, DC. In 

 order to make the program more re- 

 sponsive to both potential and success- 

 ful apphcants, the Center's aaivities 

 are being decentralized into six re- 

 gional centers; the first two are established in the Upper 

 and Lower Great Plains. The Board envisions four others: 

 Northwest, Southwest, Com Belt and Southeast 



Any non-food or non-feed product 

 derived from agricultural or forestry . 

 mato-ials is a candidate for AARC sap- 

 porL Examples of recent projects that* 

 have gained AARC support include the 

 following: 



• production of ethanol from lignocellulosic materials 



• production of pulp from waste straw 



• kenaf-based newsprint, lawn mats, and paneling 



• biodegradable lubricants from crambe and rapcseed oil 



• biodiesel production and processing technology 



• poly chemicals from com starch 



• biodegradable films and coatings from wheat 



• cosmetics and lubricaants from lesquerella 



• oil adsorption pads from wool 



• molded furniture parts from wood strands 



• composites from recycled newsp^w and soybeans 



• insulation material from milkweed floss 



• slow release starch-based bio-pest control 



