Global Strategy for the Conservation and Use of Musa (Banana) Genetic Resources

Sweet and starchy bananas (Musa spp.) are crops of great importance for both the subsistence and the livelihoods of people in developing countries. Banana is also one of the most popular fruits worldwide. From their origin in Southeast Asia, bananas have spread to and diversified in the Pacific, Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.The vision of the Global Strategy for the Conservation and Use of Musa Genetic Resources is a world in which Musa genetic diversity is secured, valued and used to support livelihoods of hundreds of millions of farmers through sustainable production and improved food and nutrition security. It includes actions that aim to i) assess Musa genetic diversity and correctly identify and fill gaps in the diversity, ii) conserve the entire Musa gene pool in perpetuity in ex situ collections, in situ in the wild and on farms, iii) maximize the use of genetic diversity through comprehensive characterization of the accessions and their evaluation, iv) apply genomics tools to banana to better support breeding and v) document the germplasm and make the information easily accessible to users.