<p>Amid climate change, plant biotechnologies are being developed to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural systems. However, their social and ethical implications remain underexplored through upstream engagement, which refers to the early engagement and involvement of stakeholders to shape research decisions. Using a case study from the U.S.–Mexico border, we reflect on the challenges and opportunities from conducting upstream engagement with migrant farmworkers. Tensions in language translation, issue framing, literacy, and tacit knowledge are particularly amplified when engaging with these kinds of communities, potentially shaping how participants interpret scientific information and express their views. Most participants reported concern that using gene editing on plants could increase social inequality, reinforcing the ethical imperative to engage overlooked stakeholders in agricultural research. We suggest that upstream engagement must be carefully designed to fit the lived realities of marginalized stakeholders to ensure their perspectives can meaningfully inform innovation.</p>