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Tobacco Producers Role in Bio-Pharming
Tobacco bio-pharming -- producing genetically modified tobacco
plants that synthesize medically important compounds -- is poised
to become a commercially viable production method in the foreseeable
future. Private sector companies have invested millions of dollars
 developing
tobacco bio-pharming technologies, and anticipate marketing drugs
and medical products derived from tobacco within the next five to
ten years. Assuming these technologies are realized, and tobacco
becomes a source of raw materials for the pharmaceutical and medical
industries, there is little question that bio-pharming will translate
into new profits for the industries that develop tobacco-based products.
 It
is conceivable, as well, that consumers stand to gain from the advent
of tobacco bio-pharming, as the technologies allow for cheaper,
and new drugs and medical devices. Questions arise, however, when
considering the impacts bio-pharming technology might have on tobacco
producers and their communities. Will tobacco bio-pharming have
positive impacts on tobacco producers? And, if so, to what extent
will these benefits be realized?
The purpose of this series of pages is to summarize the likely
interaction between tobacco growers and the private sector companies
that will hire growers to bio-pharm raw plant materials, and to
consider the potential benefits that tobacco growers might experience
should production-scale tobacco bio-pharming come to fruition.
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