Bioversity International, on behalf of the Global Cacao Genetic Resources Network (CacaoNet) jointly with the Cocoa Research Centre (CRC) of the University of the West Indies and the Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza (CATIE) organised 2 international consultations on the implementation of the Global Strategy for the Conservation and Use of Cacao Genetic Resources on 

(1) the ex situ conservation and particularly the development of the Global Strategic Cacao Collection (GSCC) in Trinidad 22-24 October 2014, Trinidad and 
(2) the On-farm Conservation of Cacao Genetic Diversity, in Guapiles, Costa Rica 26-28 October 2014.  

The goals of the 2 CacaoNet workshops were to secure the long-term conservation of cacao genetic diversity and promote its use in production through the development of the GSCC and of an on-farm conservation strategy.  The CacaoNet workshops also received support from the Cocoa Research Association (CRA) Ltd UK and WCF.  These 2 CacaoNet consultations preceded the Celebrations of the 70th Anniversary of the International Cacao Collection at CATIE on 29 October 2014 and the first meeting of the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Cocoa Breeders on 30-31 October 2014 organized by CATIE, WCF, USDA, with support from CacaoNet and INGENIC. 
These cacao genetic resources consultations provided a unique opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of conserving the genetic diversity in collections (ex situ) and in farmers’ fields to ensure their use in breeding programmes leading to improved varieties providing better options for farmers. CacaoNet coordinated by Bioversity International together with WCF, CATIE, USDA and CRC planned for these events to coincide in order to build on each consultation and ensure that recommendations on the use of cacao diversity is done in an integrated manner. 
The CacaoNet workshops led to clear priorities and agreements on collaborative actions towards securing the threatened cacao diversity as well as ensuring and facilitating their access into improvement programmes around the world.  The newly established Americas Cacao Breeders Group will bring together cacao breeders, scientists and industry members to collaborate and coordinate on the breeding and management of cacao genetic resources in the Americas.  Similar groups have already been established in the regions of West Africa, Asia and the Pacific and are under the umbrella of the INGENIC network.