Replies to post #20 on Monument Circle Acquisition Corp (MON)

[Democritus_of_Abdera]

Regarding refuge compliance...

Avoiding insect resistance to the Bt toxin is of significant economic importance to all of the GM seed companies (and to the best interests of the farmers as well). I expect continued company, EPA, and Farm organization pressure for increased refuge compliance. I would hope that by now, the big commercial farms are complying. However, I expect there will always be some small farmers who will not understand the compliance requirements or who will willfully disregard them.

I don't know exactly where to get compliance figures (I expect that the EPA has a database somewhere). But, I did find the following information at http://www.betterfarming.com/online-news/corn-pest-group-urges-minimum-refuge-compliance-2157

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s 2008 compliance audit indicates the total number of Canadian growers who planted a refuge increased to 93 per cent in 2008 compared to 91 per cent in 2005, says Krista Thomas, an Agency spokesperson. But the percentage of growers who planted the correct minimum-sized refuge decreased to 82 per cent in 2008 from 94 per cent in 2005.