Happy Bat Appreciation Week 2024!
This week is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of bats and the conservation efforts needed to protect them. It's also Halloween. And what better way to get into the spirit of spooky season than to explore the relationship between bats and chocolate?
Chocolate and cocoa are the processed end products derived from the large seed pods of the cacao tree, Theobroma cacao. These trees are native to South America, West Africa and some parts of Asia. The international chocolate industry is massive; Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire produce the vast bulk of the world’s cocoa to meet consumer demand. Many farms in these areas create huge swaths of deforestation in order to meet this demand. Cacao trees are susceptible to damage from insects that will decrease crop yield; chemical pesticides have been widely used to combat these insect pests, but only at the expense of human, wildlife, and ecosystem health.
Bats to the rescue! A 2018 study illustrated that cacao farms benefitted from pest-removal services of local bat populations located near natural vegetation. Data collected from cacao farms in Indonesia reflected that crop yield decreased by 31% when insects were allowed into the farms, but insect-eating bats and birds were excluded. Bats accounted for 22% of prevented losses (Maas et al. 2018, pg 62). A 2023 study further reflected that birds and bats increased cacao yield by 118% in Peru by decreasing aphid and mealybug predation (Ocampo-Ariza et. al, 2023). While researchers are still hammering out the details, it’s clear that bats help protect cacao trees. In other words, without bats, there would be much less chocolate! And without intact forests, there would be many fewer bats.
There are many issues surrounding chocolate production, and we realize that we aren’t going to be able to solve them all on our own. However, as consumers, making informed purchases can help bats. By being mindful of where our chocolate comes from, we can also support farmers who are working to grow cacao while simultaneously protecting the natural environment around them. USDA Organic Certification requires that a given farm avoids synthetic chemicals, and has practices in place that purposefully benefit biodiversity. Additional certifications exist to help us recognize farms and organizations that keep farmer welfare in mind – another serious issue surrounding chocolate production.
This information can be hard to find - but organizations exist that try to streamline it a bit.
The Chocolate Scorecard is a good resource, and is supported by university research groups. It provides information about several different parent brands of chocolate, and the steps they are taking to decrease deforestation, produce organic cacao, decrease pesticide use, and avoid child labor.
Check it out here: https://www.chocolatescorecard.com/scorecards/
Not all companies are listed on the Chocolate Scorecard, with many companies abstaining from the survey, or simply too small to be included. In order to make an informed decision, it is best to research the company you’re purchasing from. We recognize that many of the most ethical chocolates are among the most expensive; the good news is that the Scorecard illustrates that many of the more affordable brands are working towards building a sustainable future – including the plants, animals, and humans involved.
Ocampo-Ariza, C. et. al. 2023. Birds and bats enhance cacao yield despite suppressing arthropod mesopredation. Ecological Applications. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/eap.2886
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