The Global Musa Genomics Consortium is an international network of investigators committed to establishing Musa (banana) as a model crop for studies of comparative genomics and for gene discovery, leading eventually to sequencing of the banana genome and the creation of new banana varieties. The consortium currently brings together expertise from 37 institutions in 24 countries. In comparative genomics, Musa is seen as an ideal model for understanding genomic evolution in relation to biotic and abiotic stresses, in a polyploid, vegetatively propagated crop. Members are committed to close collaboration and agree to share materials and resources, including sequence data and enabling technologies. Wherever possible, the products of the Consortium are placed in the public domain and any new varieties developed as a result of the Consortium's work are intended for dissemination to smallholder farmers.