Consider long‑term ecological concerns from continuous planting of Bt crops over decades. Which evaluation best captures the plausible ecological risk and a mitigation strategy?

• A. Ecological concerns are irrelevant because corporate control of seeds is an economic issue and not linked to any biological outcomes; therefore biological mitigations are unnecessary.
• B. There are no ecological risks from continuous Bt use because Bt proteins are perfectly specific and cannot exert any selection pressure on pests or non‑target species; no mitigation is necessary.
• C. The only viable mitigation is to stop farming entirely; short of abandoning agriculture, risks cannot be addressed, so no responsible mitigation exists.
• D. Continuous Bt trait use can select for resistant pest populations and affect non‑target organisms; mitigation includes integrated pest management and refugia strategies to slow resistance evolution and monitoring non‑target impacts.

Answer: (D)