The banana and plantain group was originally conceived as a networking organization called INIBAP. After more than twenty years of networking experience, we—now as part of Bioversity International—continue to address our conservation, research and development objectives using an approach based on partnerships and networks. Although we do carry out strategic research, much of the laboratory or fieldwork is outsourced, and our main role is to engage diverse partners and stakeholders in mutliple countries, facilitate and coordinate research agenda, and ensure high-quality research products and Global Public Goods are produced.
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As research and development disciplines evolve in size and complexity, new partnerships have been formed with a broader range of organizations. In particular, the increasing importance of work on improving livelihoods has involved moving beyond the CGIAR’s conventional partnerships with advanced research institutes (ARIs) and with public sector organizations comprising national agricultural research systems (NARS), to engage with a range of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs).
At the foundations of our approach are the four regional networks made up of member country research programmes for banana and plantain, coordinated by Bioversity staff based in regional offices:
• MUSALAC for Latin America and the Caribbean,
• BAPNET for Asia and the Pacific;
• BARNESA for eastern and southern Africa; and
• MUSACO for West and Central Africa.
And the three subject-focused networks, which are coordinated by Bioversity from the Montpellier office:
• Global Programme for Musa Improvement (ProMusa) focuses on Musa genetic improvement, crop protection and crop production;
• Global Musa Genomics Consortium (GMGC) focuses on advancing genomics research of the crop;
• International Mycosphaerella Genomics Consortium (IMGC) investigates the genomics of Mycosphaerella species (the group of fungi responsible for black leaf streak disease of banana and at least two other leaf diseases of banana), and most recently
• The Taxonomy Advisory Group (TAG) provides expert support to the conservation strategy for Musa.
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Partnerships 