The words “biotechnology” and “biotech” are often used by the press and industry observers in limited and inconsistent ways. Those words may be used to describe only pharmaceutical products, or in another context only the industry surrounding genetically modified plants, while in yet another context a combination of biofuels, plastics, chemicals, and plant extracts. The total economic value of biotechnology companies is therefore difficult to assess, and it is challenging to disentangle the component of revenue due each to public and private firms. I've managed to get a rough idea of where the money is for industrial biotech, agbiotech, and biopharmeceuticals. Based on surveys from Nature Biotechnology, the U.S. Government, various organizations in Europe, and several private consulting firms, it appears estimates of total revenues range from US$ 80 to 150 billion annually, where the specific dollar value depends strongly on which set of products are included.