Farmers’ Perceptions of Biopharming: Insights

from a Tobacco Biopharming Survey

Genti KostandiniMichelle Hayes

Biopharming• Third generation of GM crops• Biopharming is the cultivation of crops for

pharmaceutical purposes• Plants can “manufacture” therapeutic proteins,

monoclonal antibodies, and vaccines (therapeutics)

• Some therapeutics include: cancer, HIV, diabetes, Alzheimer's, hepatitis B, malaria, cystic fibrosis, and cholera

Importance• Significantly cheaper than current production of

abiotic fermentation (E. Coli or yeast) or mammalian cell cultures (Chinese hamster ovary cells)

• More stable supply and increase consumer access• Reduces the chance of contamination from

human or animal viruses• Possibility to develop new therapeutics

Concerns• Can biopharmed crops be fully segregated?• Are there long term health effects?• How toxic are biopharmed crops to wildlife?• How long do compounds stay in the soil?

Background• Dow AgroSciences- poultry vaccine from tobacco

cells (U.S., 2006) • Planet Biotechnology- CaroRx , dental cavity

treatment, from tobacco (E.U., 2006)• Hepatitis B antibody (Cuba, 2006)• Protalix/ Pfzier- Eleyso, Gauncher’s disease

treatment, from carrot cells (U.S. & Israel, 2012)

Study• Provide insights on producers knowledge of

biopharming• Find out who is willing to participate and under

what conditions• July 2012- telephone survey of 1,129 tobacco

producers with a 14% response rate• 145 participants from Georgia, Kentucky, North

Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia

Data• Primary data

o Concerns about biopharmingo Willingness to grow pharmaceutical tobacco

under certain conditions regarding production methods and net return per acre

o Knowledge of biopharming prior to the surveyo Characteristics such as gender, age and

income

Data cont.Attribute % of respondersMale 95.0%Age >55 years 67.7%Income $100k -$120k 63.4%Four year degree or higher 36.0%Growing tobacco 31-40+ years 73.6%

Prior knowledge A lot 5.1% Some 26.5% Not much 41.9% Nothing at all 26.5%

Types of Concern (answered yes) Unexpected Effects 18.5% Health 4.8% Environment 4.4%

Data cont.

Willingness to GrowProduction

• (a) Would you be willing to grow tobacco using current equipment and production methods for a pharmaceutical company if your net return per acre was [5%, 10%, 25%, 40%, 50% or more] more than growing conventional tobacco?

• (b) If required to change current production methods would you be willing to grow transgenic tobacco for a pharmaceutical company if your net return per acre was [5%, 10%, 25%, 40%, 50% or more] more than growing conventional tobacco?

• (c) If required to purchase additional equipment and change production methods would you be willing to grow transgenic tobacco for a pharmaceutical company if your net return per acre was [5%, 10%, 25%, 40%, 50% or more] more than growing conventional tobacco?

Results

Table 5. Willingness to grow under different production scenarios

  (1) (2) (3)  Current Change Additional  Production Production Equipment

Variables Probit Probit ProbitNet return per acre 4.8535*** 30.4315*** 5.1832***  (1.7820) (7.1677) (1.1645)Male 0.1922 4.4860*** 0.7135  (0.6000) (1.4721) (0.8161)Age 0.0073 -0.0181 0.0006  (0.0155) (0.0199) (0.0164)4 year degree or higher -0.5808* 0.3405 -1.2153***  (0.3378) (0.4727) (0.3934)Income 0.0871** 0.0066 0.1001**  (0.0355) (0.0410) (0.0390)Concern 0.3717 0.7282 -0.4759  (0.4398) (0.6388) (0.3983)Prior level of knowledge -0.4764 -0.2911 0.4698  (0.3608) (0.4373) (0.3672)Experience more than 20 years 0.3223 -0.3667 -0.2915  (0.5322) (0.7063) (0.5395)Observations 111 98 95Standard errors in parentheses

*** p<0.01, ** p<0.05, * p<0.1

Willingness to growRegulations

• 1320 ft. fallow zone from other fields • 1 year restriction to grow non-pharmaceutical

crops after they have planted biopharming crops • Several annual inspections from regulatory

agencies

Regulations would not prevent adoption (1) (2)Variables Probit Marginal

Age 0.0256 0.0038(0.0198) (0.0029)

Male -1.5022** -0.4412**(0.7338) (0.2748)

Income >$100K -0.7793** -0.1115**(0.3914) (0.0548)

Experience 20 years or more -0.4965 -0.0967(0.7376) (0.1776)

Acres -0.0037* -0.0006*(0.0020) (0.0003)

Constant -0.0961(1.1189)

Observations 109 109Standard errors in parentheses*** p<0.01, ** p<0.05, * p<0.1

Table 6. Regulations and adoption

Conclusions• Tobacco producers are willing to participate when

economic incentives exist• Not much concern despite unfamiliarity with

biopharming • Low awareness implies more information needs to

be provided for producers• Producers’ opinions may help shape regulations

Thank YOU