1. Genti Kostandini Michelle Hayes
Farmers’ Perceptions of Biopharming: Insights from a Tobacco Biopharming Survey
Genti Kostandini
Michelle Hayes

2. 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
* Explain process of growing the crop and extracting, purifying the protein

3. 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

4. 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?

5. 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)

6. Study Provide insights on producers knowledge of biopharming
Find out who is willing to participate and under what conditions
July telephone survey of 1,129 tobacco producers with a 14% response rate
145 participants from Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia

7. Data Primary data Concerns about biopharming
Willingness to grow pharmaceutical tobacco under certain conditions regarding production methods and net return per acre
Knowledge of biopharming prior to the survey
Characteristics such as gender, age and income

8. Data cont.

9. Data cont.

10. Willingness to Grow Production
(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?

11. Results

12. Table 5. Willingness to grow under different production scenarios
(1)
(2)
(3)
Current
Change
Additional
Production
Equipment
Variables
Probit
Net return per acre
4.8535***
***
5.1832***
(1.7820)
(7.1677)
(1.1645)
Male
0.1922
4.4860***
0.7135
(0.6000)
(1.4721)
(0.8161)
Age
0.0073
0.0006
(0.0155)
(0.0199)
(0.0164)
4 year degree or higher *
0.3405
***
(0.3378)
(0.4727)
(0.3934)
Income
0.0871**
0.0066
0.1001**
(0.0355)
(0.0410)
(0.0390)
Concern
0.3717
0.7282
(0.4398)
(0.6388)
(0.3983)
Prior level of knowledge
0.4698
(0.3608)
(0.4373)
(0.3672)
Experience more than 20 years
0.3223
(0.5322)
(0.7063)
(0.5395)
Observations
111 98 95
Standard errors in parentheses
*** p<0.01, ** p<0.05, * p<0.1

13. Willingness to grow Regulations
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

14. Table 6. Regulations and adoption

15. 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

16. Thank YOU