One in a series of reports from bio-era assessing the potential of crop plants as production platforms for pharmaceuticals and other industrial materials, and the opportunities, risks and implications for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, chemical, food and agriculture sectors.

This report assesses farm sector opportunities and risks associated with crop-based biomanufacturing, and assesses the scale of the opportunity available from these production technologies over the coming decade for farm sector participants -- including the acreage required for field production, and the associated farm sector income.

Key questions to be answered:

• How, where and at what scales are transgenic crops producing pharmaceutical or industrial proteins currently being grown?
  
  
• What is the outlook for future demand growth?
  
  
• How do the economics work for farmers? What can growers hope to earn as a premium?
  
  
• How big is the potential upside for the farm sector, and how does it compare to the risks?
  
  
• What special challenges have farmers faced in managing these crops?

Who will benefit from this research?

• Biotechnology, pharmaceutical, healthcare, chemical, agriculture and food company executives, investors and trade association executives
  
  
• Farmers and others involved globally in the crop production supply chain
  
  
• Federal, state and international agencies involved in legislating, regulating and enforcing farm practices, food safety, and environmental affairs
  
  
• Crop and liability insurance and re-insurance executives

Contents:

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FARM SECTOR

ASSESSING THE CHALLENGES

THE ECONOMICS OF THE OPPORTUNITY

The ASYMMETRY OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS

BIO-SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

GLOBAL CONTEXT AND OUTLOOK

Excerpt from the Executive Summary

The prospect of crop-based production of pharmaceuticals and other novel proteins has attracted attention in the farm sector as a possible avenue for high-value crop production in the years ahead. Our analysis suggests that the total size of field production of such specialty crops will likely be...

Our assessment of farm sector opportunities associated with crop-based bioproduction suggests ? the additional costs that growers will have to incur to produce these crops will be significant, including provisions for...

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