Consolidation of Knowledge and Strategies for Cadmium Management in Cocoa: Annual Clima-LoCa Workshop in Colombia

Between February 5 and 7, 2025, the Clima-LoCa team met in Palmira, Colombia, to review progress, share results, and plan the final dissemination phase of the project. This workshop, coordinated by the Bioversity Alliance and CIAT and with the participation of leading institutions such as Agrosavia, ESPOL, INIAP, CIRAD, INIA, and Wageningen University (WUR), aimed to strengthen the achievements made in the areas of soils, climate, genetics, and socioeconomics, focusing on the problem of cadmium in the cocoa value chain.

During the workshop, significant progress was presented in regional cadmium mapping in cocoa and soils, as well as results from research trials aimed at identifying clones with low cadmium accumulation. In addition, the impact and achievements of the multi-stakeholder platforms implemented in the participating countries were highlighted, which have been fundamental in coordinating efforts between producers, technicians, exporters, scientists, and government agencies.

One of the main focuses of the workshop was to establish key messages and means of dissemination tailored to each target group of the project. Cocoa-producing families, government bodies in each country, technical teams, and the scientific community are the main audiences that will be targeted by the project’s dissemination and communication efforts in this, its final year of implementation.

The workshop also identified opportunities to strengthen international collaboration, especially through platforms such as ACLIMATAR, Cacaodiversity, and participation in global events. The need to create synergies between existing projects and tools was discussed, as well as the possibility of scaling up successful solutions at the regional level.

On the final day, partners reflected on the lessons learned and reaffirmed their commitment to continue collaborating to address the challenges of cadmium in cocoa. It was agreed to follow up on the implementation of dissemination plans, prioritizing knowledge transfer and the integration of new scientific and technological evidence.

As part of this activity, a visit was also made to the Campoalegre experimental farm of the National Federation of Cocoa Growers (Fedecacao by its acronym in spanish) and the Origen Choco farm in Andalucía, Valle del Cauca, in order to learn about the research and processes carried out in relation to cocoa cultivation management.

The workshop in Palmira marks a milestone in the consolidation of an international cooperation network focused on the sustainable management of cadmium in cocoa, laying the foundations for future collaborative actions and generating positive impacts on the cocoa value chain in Latin America and the Caribbean.