In situ and on-farm conservation of cacao germplasm refers to the maintenance of cacao genetic diversity in its natural habitat or through the continued cultivation of landraces or traditional varieties in the agro-ecosystems where they have evolved. 

CacaoNet’s 2012 Global Strategy for Conservation and Use of Cacao Genetic Resources (Global Strategy) recommends actions to be taken. Partly as a result, CacaoNet organized a first consultation for on-farm conservation of cacao genetic resources, jointly organized with CATIE in Costa Rica 26-28 October 2014 with focus on The Americas (including the USA/Hawaii) and Caribbean (Trinidad Tobago).
The goal of this CacaoNet workshop is to contribute to the sustainability of cocoa production through the promotion of agrobiodiversity and the development of a strategy for on-farm conservation of cacao genetic diversity. This includes: discussing the on-farm conservation methodologies and approaches and information systems supporting decision-making processes and making recommendations for the next steps and developing a proposal for action.

This CacaoNet workshop was made possible thanks to the financial contributions from Bioversity International and the CGIAR Research Programme (CRP) on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA) and to the support from CATIE. CacaoNet is also grateful for the continuing and valuable support of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and its funding for some of the logistical aspects of the workshop.