Andrew Fister, postdoctoral scholar in plant science, stands among cacao trees in the African country of Ivory Coast. Pods turning yellow and black are infected with black pod disease. Disclaimer ...

“This virus is a real threat to the global supply of chocolate ... and rounding and shrinking of the cacao pod. Scientists attribute the disease’s proliferation to “globalization ...

As you nibble on a chocolate truffle or bite into a chocolate-dipped strawberry on Valentine’s Day, consider the elongated, ribbed pods of the cacao tree, which made that sweet treat possible.