The first genetically engineered crops have been approved and released for commercial production in North America. Before their introduction into the Caribbean, a number of questions will need to be answered. Amongst these are: (i) What do we know about gene flow between crop and weed species in the Caribbean?; (ii) Given the climatic conditions of the region, will plants engineered for resistance be effective?; (iii) Will genetically engineered plants accelerate the erosion of indigenous varieties?; (iv) Do we have the appropriate intellectual property rights?, and (v) Can our major crops be engineered to produce alternative industrial products? Each of these questions will be discussed.