Weird is an understatement, I tell ya. I believe anyone would agree if I said the idea of flies and chocolate being in the same sentence is rather repulsive. However, I gotta do what I gotta do.

Chocolate is derived from cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) which is abundant in South America's tropical rain forest. Such trees have flowers, why of course. And these flowers grow directly from the trunk, instead of the branches. When these white cacao flowers are pollinated, they produce the prized seed pods.

This formation, which is not very typical, is dubbed by botanists as "cauliflory", and basically plays a significant role in the tree's insect pollination. The flowers are actually very tiny and have intricate design. It’s no wonder they call for a small pollinator.

There's still a certain hint of mystery to the pollination of the precious Theobroma cacao up until this day though. These tiny pollinators are called midges.

Midges are small, gnat-like flies, in the family Ceratopogonidae, various species of Euprojoannisia and Forcipomyia. They are known to be most active in their pollination at dusk and dawn. I guess it’s safe to say they are just keeping up with the opening of the cacao flowers, which are fully open right before dawn.

In cacao plantations, plenty of flowers are produced, with only a few seed pods. Pollination rates are low because it is done by insects that have been accustomed to the shady rain forest environment, rather than the open spaces of commercial plantations.

These helpful insects can't seem to respond very well to the unnatural arrangement of the cacao trees or the flowering patterns of plantation cacao trees. Such imbalance comes about because of cacao cultivation practices that have been used for centuries now.

To address this issue, which apparently threatens the chocolate industry, farmers are starting to plant cacao trees in small areas within the rain forest ecocysystem. By doing so, there will be a more natural environment where the pollinators are able to thrive. Without that, hand pollination can help to supplement poor natural pollination.

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Joanna Maligaya

Staff Writer/Content Developer at Chocolate University Online

Ever since she can remember, Joanna has always considered chocolate as the ultimate food for her soul. She believes in the saying, “9 out of 10 people love chocolate, and the 10th always lies.”

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