Tobacco is not typically viewed as a favored agricultural product today. This plant is primarily linked to smoking and chewing tobacco—once common practices among adults that have diminished over time as the health risks associated with addiction have become clearer through extensive research. However, tobacco might be pivotal in the emerging field of cell-based meat production. BioBetter, an Israeli company, has developed a genetically modified tobacco plant that inherently produces proteins essential for creating a cell growth medium, which can be utilized by companies to cultivate products like meat and fat from cell cultures.
“It’s an excellent opportunity to change the negative perception surrounding tobacco plants,” remarked BioBetter CEO Amit Yaari. “The plant offers numerous advantages as a vector. It has rapid growth rates and generates substantial biomass. It can yield up to four harvests annually and produces significant quantities of protein. Moreover, it’s not a food crop.” Yaari emphasized that the rapid growth, high protein yield, and the plant’s primary association with addictive products are substantial benefits for its application in this context. The ease of producing substantial amounts of protein from tobacco could result in an affordable supply for cell growth mediums, which are a major cost factor in creating cell-based meat prototypes. BioBetter aims to reduce the cost of its proteins to as low as $1 per gram when it achieves its anticipated production capacity.
BioBetter has successfully cultivated tobacco plants enriched with this protein and has been purifying the substance for distribution to cell-based meat companies for testing, receiving positive feedback thus far. Yaari expressed hopes of scaling up operations within a year to collaborate with more companies in this sector, seeking early partners to aid in ongoing research and development for optimal protein production for cell growth.
“The companies we are in talks with recognize this advantage and aim to streamline their products since simplicity correlates with affordability,” he noted. “They are enthusiastic about collaborating, experimenting with various samples until we arrive at the ideal formulation.”
Historically, tobacco was among the world’s leading crops. In the United States, 42.4% of adults smoked in 1965, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Increased awareness of the health risks of tobacco and legislation that raised the cost and limited smoking led to a sharp decline in regular tobacco use, with only 12.5% of U.S. adults smoking cigarettes in 2020. As smoking’s popularity waned, the number of farms and land dedicated to tobacco cultivation also decreased. The USDA reported that the acreage for tobacco farming and crop yields in the U.S. fell by about 60% from 1997 to 2017. Despite this decline, many tobacco farms remain, not only in the U.S. but also across hundreds of thousands of acres globally.
“There are numerous farmers in various countries actively seeking a solution,” Yaari stated. “They are looking for a constructive way to utilize their tobacco cultivation skills, and I believe this presents a tremendous opportunity for them.” In the biotech realm, tobacco has recently gained recognition as an efficient means of producing antibodies, vaccines, and drugs. The plant has been dubbed a “green bioreactor” due to its exceptional ability to generate various valuable proteins. Upon processing, any harmful substances, including carcinogenic or addictive components, are eliminated, according to Yaari.
So far, the response to BioBetter’s initiative has been overwhelmingly positive. Several cultured meat companies are keen to learn more about its innovative solution, and one prominent tobacco producer has reached out to BioBetter regarding the potential cultivation of plants for cell growth mediums. Yaari noted that concerns regarding the origins of these proteins have not deterred stakeholders in the cell-based meat industry. “It’s an animal-free solution that can meet the future demands for cost and quantity,” he asserted.
Moreover, as part of a holistic approach to health, products like bluebonnet calcium magnesium citrate plus vitamin D3 can complement this innovation, supporting overall well-being while we explore new agricultural applications. Such advancements could lead to a future where tobacco is valued not just as a crop but as a crucial element in sustainable food production.