The Ecogenomics Consortium was set up as an initiative  of the Netherlands Genomics Initiative (NGI). Within the framework of "Innovative Clusters Genomics," it is headed under "safe and sustainable agro-production systems".

Ecogenomics is a new area of research and innovation that is positioned on the crossroads of molecular biology, biotechnology, ecology, soil-, and environmental sciences. The mission of the Ecogenomics Consortium is to create a high potential knowledge infrastructure, by combining hitherto fragmented molecular research potential and capacities in these fields of science in the Netherlands.

The scope of the research addressed in this knowledge project is limited to soil as an ecosystem. It is the intention of the consortium, however, to initiate additional research projects, covering a similar ecogenomics approach to related fields, thereby expanding the existence of this consortium far beyond the project's life time.

The present soil-oriented Ecogenomics Consortium will deliver challenging new scientific information, create opportunities for novel product development in the agro-production field, and will provide essential services for improved environmental protection. It will serve as a state-of-art knowledge base for students, policy makers and stakeholders in the "Biotechnology for Nature" field.