Molecular Farming Market

Global Molecular Farming Market Size (2024 to 2029)

The global molecular farming market size is expected to reach USD 537.23 million in 2024 and USD 1046.54 million by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 10.67% from 2024 to 2029.

Current Scenario of the Global Molecular Farming Market

Molecular farming is a biotechnology program that includes genetically modifying agricultural products to produce proteins and chemicals for commercial or pharmaceutical purposes. As plants have been a natural medicine source for a long time, molecular farming has been a novel source of molecular medicines such as plasma proteins, vaccines, enzymes, growth factors, and recombinant antibodies. The molecular farming market has accounted for considerable growth in the past years and is projected to have notable growth with a prominent growth rate during the forecast period. The increased demand for plant proteins in the food and pharmaceutical industries is escalating the demand for molecular farming practices, boosting the market growth rate. Molecular farming provides numerous benefits such as affordability, scalability, and safety compared to other traditional protein production techniques, accelerating the adoption and creating growth opportunities in the market.

MARKET DRIVERS

The growing awareness regarding the benefits of molecular farming over the traditional methods of protein production propels the global molecular farming market growth.

The ease of growing plants with reduced costs and higher efficiency are primary benefits produced by molecular farming practices, leading to market share growth. The availability of customization, scalability, and minimal processing is gaining traction among people who are adopting the method, which enhances the possibilities for the development of innovative therapeutics and boosts market expansion. Another primary factor contributing to the global market expansion is growing partnerships and collaborations among major companies, research institutes, and other non-industry groups. The growing collaborations support market growth by enabling resources at reduced costs and limiting the risk of duplications. The partnerships and collaborations fuel the innovations and efficiency of molecular farming practices, which augment global market revenue growth.

The escalating investments by biopharmaceuticals in research and developmental activities enhance the opportunities for bio-farming techniques, leading to increased demand for molecular farming growth. The ongoing research activities will provide market growth opportunities with increased efficiency, precise results, and environmentally friendly techniques. The increasing demand for scalable, cost-effective, and rapid procedures for developing therapeutic proteins and vaccines augments the demand for molecular farming, leading to enhanced market growth. The rising prevalence of diseases is increasing the demand for innovative therapeutics, which is estimated to influence the market growth rate positively.

MARKET RESTRAINTS

Specific drawbacks of molecular farming, such as concerns regarding protein stability with time, are primarily hampering the market growth due to the restricted adoption rate.

The presence of stringent regulatory compliance as the manipulation and alteration of live organisms involves ethical evaluation will be a significant challenge for the market players in expanding the market. Various regulatory authorities should approve the procedure and products produced by this method, which will be complex and increase the expenditure for the investors. The complexity of scaling up production and the involvement of potential environmental effects are estimated to hinder market growth opportunities. The high costs associated with the development and scale-up needed to meet the biopharmaceuticals' requirements is another factor impeding the market growth. There are increased concerns regarding the risk of contamination as the products that are produced need to be utilized in biopharmaceuticals, which helps treat human health concerns and restrain market revenue growth.

REPORT COVERAGE

SEGMENTAL ANALYSIS

Global Molecular Farming Market Analysis By Type

The plant-based segment dominated the global molecular farming market with a significant share in 2023. The increased demand for plant-based proteins due to their diverse applications in various industries is leading to the segment growth rate. The growth of specific compounds through plants in an eco-friendly and scalable manner fuels the segment growth. Plant proteins have diverse applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. They are gaining traction due to the increased trend of veganism among consumers, augmenting the segment's growth opportunities.

Global Molecular Farming Market Analysis By Technology

The gene gun segment held the leading share of the global molecular farming market in 2023. A gene gun is a tool used to transfer exogenous DNA or RNA into plant cells containing cell walls. The major benefits of the gene gun are the direct delivery without isolation of the target cells, augmenting the adoption of this method and leading to segment revenue growth.

The Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer segment is expected to grow fastest during the forecast period. This procedure is known for its cutting-edge technology, which results in higher efficiency, remarkable adaptability to a diverse range of host plants, and precise delivery of genetic information into plant cells. These factors are accelerating the segment's growth opportunities.  

Global Molecular Farming Market Analysis By Application

The pharmaceuticals segment is predicted to hold the most significant share of the global market and are anticipated to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The increased investments in research and developmental activities and the growing benefits of molecular farming in the pharma industry in producing various vaccines, antibodies, and enzymes propel segment growth. The expanding biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies with well-established distribution networks contribute to the market growth opportunities. The rising government support initiatives and favorable regulatory environment in the developed regions will increase the market growth.

The food industry is expected to grow prominently during the forecast period. The growing shift towards veganism is enhancing the demand for plant-based proteins to produce dairy products by excluding the animal requirement.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

North America led the molecular farming market in 2023 globally.

The North American region held the most significant share in the molecular farming market in 2023 and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. The growing government support initiatives to implement advanced technologies in the agricultural industry are propelling the growth of molecular farming practices in the region. The presence of the well-established pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry is escalating investments in research activities, which positively influences market growth. The favorable regulations regarding innovation and commercialization across the North American region provide growth opportunities for the market.

The Asia-Pacific regional market is predicted to grow at the fastest CAGR.

The Asia Pacific region is expected to grow rapidly during the forecast period owing to its abundant agricultural practices and resources. Expanding innovations in the region and increasing partnerships and collaborations among the public and private sectors are contributing to the regional market growth. The escalation in R&D activities and advancing technology with supportive legislation augment the market growth in the region.

Europe is a notable regional segment for molecular farming in the worldwide market.

The European region is estimated to experience notable growth during the forecast period due to the presence of a well-established research sector and key pharmaceuticals and biotechnology market players.  

KEY PLAYERS IN THE GLOBAL MOLECULAR FARMING MARKET

LFB Biotechnologies SA, Pfizer, Pharming Group NV, Miruku, Nobell Foods, ORF Genetics, Avaxin Biologics, Mapp Biopharmaceutical, Medicago, Bright Biotech. These are the market players that are dominate the global molecular farming market.

RECENT HAPPENINGS IN THE GLOBAL MOLECULAR FARMING MARKET

• In April 2024, Nobell Foods, a new startup brand in Molecular farming, rebranded as Alpine Bio and attained a new patent for dairy proteins. This brand is widely known for producing animal-free cheese using soy-derived casein proteins.
• In April 2024, The Israeli Innovation Authority and The Kitchen FoodTech hub provided pre-seed funding to an Israeli molecular farming firm that can create dairy proteins from potatoes.
• In August 2023, ZERO and KBio collaborated and created a portable plant-based molecular farming network. This network is expected to produce therapeutic, pandemic preparedness, and bioactive ingredients in large, centralized hubs. ZERO is known for its modular and contamination-free plant growing setup, which is combined with KBio's expertise with N. benthamiana as a bioreactor to produce customized solutions.
• In September 2023, BioBetter Ltd, a startup food tech company, announced its establishment of the first food-grade pilot facility to enhance the production of cultured meat industry growth. The company introduced a unique platform for protein synthesis that creates growth factors by using tobacco plants as self-sufficient bioreactors, eliminating animal requirements.

DETAILED SEGMENTATION OF THE GLOBAL MOLECULAR FARMING MARKET INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT

This research report on the global molecular farming market has been segmented and sub-segmented based on type, technology, application and region.

By Type

• Plant-based
• Animal-based

By Technology

• Gene-gun
• Agroinfiltration
• Electroporation
• Agrobacterium-Mediated Gene Transfer

By Application

• Food Industry
• Pharmaceuticals  
• Pesticide
• Others

By Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East and Africa