The loss of plant agro-biodiversity is a global problem with repercussions on both humans and agro-ecosystems. Italy is legislating to counteract the problem of landrace loss by following EU guidelines: with the law of 1st December 2015 n. 194 (“Provisions for the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity of agricultural and food interest”), Italy recognized the principles for the establishment of a national system of conservation and enhancement of biodiversity of agricultural and food interest. This protection system envisages the creation of an Agrobiodiversity National Register which was set up in December 2019. In recent years, researchers from the University of Milan (Ge.S.Di.Mont. Research Centre) have carried out research aimed at implementing the data of this register.  Our research investigated the situation for Italian herbaceous landraces preserved on farms (in situ) by merging and analyzing data contained in the main databases on plant agrobiodiversity in Italy. A total of 1615 herbaceous landraces were found: Poaceae, Fabaceae, and Solanaceae together comprise 70% of all herbaceous landraces and are mostly preserved/grown in areas between 150 and 800 m a.s.l. Some hilly and sub-mountain areas of the Apennines and the Alps are hotspots of herbaceous landraces and some of them were characterized from an agronomic, nutritional/phytochemical and/or genetic point of view. The results of the analyzes conducted on these landraces will be shown as well as the methods to protect them and promote local and sustainable agri-food chains.