The process to establish the World Banana Forum (WBF) was led by a group of  representatives from banana grower organizations, exporter associations, multinational and national trading companies, trade unions, supermarket chains, intergovernmental organizations, research institutions and non-governmental organizations. This group formed a Preparatory Committee, which played a crucial role in the creation of the WBF by organizing the necessary preparatory meetings and the inaugural WBF meeting in December 2009.

Banana stakeholders agreed to appoint a group of representatives to coordinate the ongoing activities of the World Banana Forum and its Working Groups. This coordinating body is known as the Steering Committee.

Everyone can join the Steering Committee provided that they have sufficient time and willingness to support actively this Forum. From its inception, maintaining a balance among the different constituent groups within the Committee has been a priority.

Here are the members of the new Steering Committee as of July 2024:

• Association of Ecuadorian Banana Exporters (AEBE)
• Association of Banana Producers of the Dominican Republic (Adobanano)
• Afruibana
• Agroamerica
• Agrocalidad
• Agrofair
• Alliance Bioversity International - CIAT
• Association of Banana Growers of Magdalena and La Guajira (ASBAMA)
• Association of Banana Growers of Colombia (AUGURA)
• Banana Link
• Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS)
• Chiquita
• Committee for Liaison with Exporters in Agriculture for Development (COLEAD)
• Coordinating Body of Latin American Banana and Agro-industrial Unions (COLSIBA)
• Compagnie Fruitière
• National Banana Corporation of Costa Rica (CORBANA)
• Latin American and Caribbean Network of Fairtrade Small Producers and Workers (CLAC)
• Dole      
• Equifruit
• Emprebancoop
• Fairtrade International
• FARMCOOP
• Fyffes
• GlobalG.A.P.
• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco, and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF)
• Permanent representation of Cameroon
• Permanent representation of Dominican Republic
• Permanent representation of Ecuador
• Permanent representation of Costa Rica
• Permanent representation of India
• Permanent representation of Colombia
• Rainforest Alliance
• Reybanpac
• Sainsbury's
• Tesco