How one British laboratory protects the world's chocolate

The International Cocoa Quarantine Centre, at the University of Reading, has an important job: stop pests and viruses from hitching a ride, as researchers try to breed better and hardier varieties of cocoa. Here's how they do it. ■ research.readi...
Articles mentioned:
www.theguardia...
people.com/foo...
More reading and sources:
www.newyorker....
www.newscienti...
Edited by Michelle Martin: / @onthecrux
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[@TomScottGo]

Thanks to all the team at the ICQC! I couldn't fit this into the video narrative, but it was too good to leave out entirely: one of the ways they test plants for viruses is with PCR tests. That would have been a very obscure fact a couple of years ago, but these days...

[@daandanx]

Yes! Thanks to them!

[@ThatGuy-tm8ml]

Speedy boi is me

[@iamnotadentist7934]

Thank you

[@justlixian293]

Youre about 2 years late to the virus, tom

[@specterx2135]

Chocolate is my favorite! Thanks for making this!

[@davidjones332]

It's amazing how Tom finds these obscure backroom activities where people beaver away quietly keeping the modern world functioning, doing things we could never have guessed we needed.

[@BeardyGit89]

I think you have an incredibly over-inflated sense of the importance of chocolate.

[@GortonIma]

@@BeardyGit89 Quiet you rubber headed eunuch!

[@CED99]

It's great that these things get brought to light - it's a remedy to all the anti-facters and truth-naysayers and it's great to see things and think, that makes sense but I've never thought about it before now!

[@AlmightyUniden]

@@BeardyGit89 Sorry but chocolate, in a sense, very much keep people alive.

[@seanthesheep]

@@AlmightyUniden especially from dementors

[@tomohawk2177]

Absolute legends in the quarantine centre making sure we can stuff our faces with affordable chocolate. True heroes

[@misterflibble9799]

Certainly deserves a number of celebrations.

[@maiaallman4635]

Now we just need a campaign for reducing the sugar content in chocolate on the shelves

[@Bergen98]

Unsung heroes of our world for sure

[@alisonhill3941]

@@Bergen98 Unsung miniature heroes.

[@whatskraken3886]

the only reason you can stuff your face with affordable chocolate is because it's grown with child slave labor.

[@belperite]

This facility must be protected at all costs.

[@pattheplanter]

A combination of Brexit and Putin are, presumably, bumping up the cost of fuel for this facility and endangering our chocolate.

[@davitdavid7165]

@@pattheplanter maybe that will finally lead to all green chocolate.

[@neldert1397]

@@davitdavid7165 Can’t copious amounts of food coloring accomplish that?

[@TheSpearkan]

@@pattheplanter Three words: Bikes, Boats and Trains. If we can reduce fuel use using these three methods for both people and goods we can relieve fuel demand to those that need it. Before you ask, yes you can transport freight by bike, cargo bikes are climbing in popularity as a cheap, low-volume, short-range method.

[@demoniack81]

@@TheSpearkan Bikes. You're suggesting running our economies on _bikes._ Lmao. There is only one solution to the energy question, and it's been the same for the last 60 years. It's not "just use less", it's nuclear power. Whether people like it or not. We need to get off our asses and undo the 50 years of fossil fueled propaganda that has made everyone deathly afraid of the safest and cleanest power source we have, while simultaneously convincing them that breathing toxic fumes is fine. Trains and ships are great, but as long as we keep powering them with fossil fuels they're a non-solution. Renewables have their places, but they can't replace fossil fuels (and the fossil fuel companies know this - ask yourself why they spend billions hyping renewables and "green" hydrogen).

[@TomScottGo]

One fact that I couldn't quite fit into the video: one of the techniques that the researchers use to detect cocoa-plant viruses is a PCR test, which everyone's got a lot more familiar with over the last couple of years...

[@krashd]

Cacao seeds have nostrils?

[@poonholder5643]

Mabe talk about the quarantine centres in the Northern Territory Tom Scott?!

[@linusskoldberg1477]

A suggestion for a video: Falun: The town that painted a nation red. It's a fairly large town in central Sweden with a (former) copper mine, where they used the residue material of the mine to create house paint. They have so much residue that virtually all (or at least a majority of) houses on the Swedish coyntryside is painted with that colour, even though the mine has been shut down for ages. I believe they're expected to run out in about 70 years.

[@linusskoldberg1477]

A couple of additional fun facts about Falun: 1. The area around the mine is one of Swedens 15 UNESCO world heritage sites, thanks to how well preserved the old mining facilities are 2. Because of poverty among the workers at the mine, a "poor man's sausage" called Falukorv (litterally Falun sausage) was developed, and it's nowadays one of the most popular parts of Swedish cuisine (which admittedly isn't very much).

[@Tjalve70]

In Norway, red was the cheap colour used for painting houses. Which is why barns, boathouses, and generally poor houses were painted red. On the other hand, white was considered the expensive colour. Which is why wealthy people's houses were painted white. And why small towns on the south coast of Norway traditionally painted all of their houses white. Of course, some rich people were cheap, and so they painted the front of their houses white, and the backside of their houses red. And yes, this red paint also came from Falun.

[@samgeorge4798]

A very similar story in North America aswesll. The typical pop culture image of a Canadian or amarican dairy farm include a large red barn. Though in our case I think it is because iron oxide based paint was cheapest during the late 1800s -1940s

[@FloydBunsen]

@@samgeorge4798 It’s also because it could be made with low quality or discarded milk. Milk paint can be very durable for a low cost

[@samgeorge4798]

@@FloydBunsen I did not know you could make paint with milk, the more you know.

[@lilijhonston]

I absolutely love tom's ability to give a platform to people to provide their highly specific knowledge in a field while providing the necessary background info to make it understandable to ordinary people. Tom is truly a one of a kind science communicator!

[@romanski5811]

u callin me a normie, m8?

[@Campake]

@@romanski5811 didn't know we had time traveller technology from 2015, nice to meet you! The year you've travelled to is 2022

[@justmegumi34]

True

[@itzblinkzy1728]

@@romanski5811 "u callin me a normie, m8?"🤓

[@clockworkkirlia7475]

@@romanski5811 Oh gosh, when you return to your own time, please, please tell them. Tell them what happened. We don't have much ti

[@sulthan_m1938]

Tom somehow never ran out of interesting topics to talk about, and simplify it into compact videos! Thank you as always Tom!

[@andrewlynch1754]

You could say that Tom makes interesting videos about non-interesting subjects. It's his passion that makes them interesting.

[@BaldMancTwat]

It's almost as if time is a constant.

[@markchinguz4401]

Tom scott always makes sure you see deeper into the world

[@OHOE1]

DEEP!!! 😤😩😏

[@markchinguz4401]

@pati chocolate taste nice

[@ausburne5265]

@@OHOE1 get out and into me

[@mirjanbouma]

That's a great way of describing his content!

[@DoiInthanon1897]

@@ausburne5265 Are you sure about that?

[@Joe-ij6of]

0:50 Lets all take the time to appreciate Tom getting the timing right on his minute long intro while walking.

[@goranandersson3544]

Just scrolled down to check that noone posted this already, but you had.

[@DavidGuild]

How many takes do you think that took?

[@lewiscopland4568]

@@DavidGuild Proabably two. You start at the sign, recite the opening speech while walking, then stop walking when you've finished. Step two, you do the same thing in reverse - recite the speech while walking back to the sign. Bish bash bosh.

[@marcelbpunkt]

@@goranandersson3544 Me too 😂👍

[@sscswimmer1]

@@lewiscopland4568 you can also just speed up or slow down as you go.

[@BOLL7708]

As a chocolate addict, I appreciate the working being done here.

[@Dr.Kornelius]

* sugar addict *

[@muscleman125]

Ur food addiction supports child labor and slavery

[@h4724-q6j]

@@minebrandon95264 This is supporting research into growing cocoa more easily and potentially in more climates, which means less child labour. So you should appreciate the work being done here. Since you're so righteous though, I'd like to know how you avoid child labour when buying clothes and electronics. Consumers are not who you should be upset with, and tutting at them whenever they don't singlehandedly fix all of the problems in the world doesn't actually help with any of them.

[@Bookwhiff]

The absolute state of these replies

[@h4724-q6j]

@@Bookwhiff true

[@annihilatorg]

I always like when "Autoclaved" can be used as a verb for the instances where "kill it with fire" doesn't work.

[@blindleader42]

Just one of the superpowers that the English language possesses. 😁

[@krashd]

And it's domestic cousin, "That dude got pressure cooked!"

[@assortedpov]

I interpreted the title as meaning "how all of the world's harvested cocoa is centrally held - as if it were some type of Federal Reserve for cocoa - in a British laboratory which is as secure as Fort Knox". Much as I'm disappointed that didn't quite turn out to be what it meant, I am pleased to learn that we Brits are still doing something of international importance.

[@petertaylor4980]

Like the Canadian strategic maple syrup stocks?

[@assortedpov]

@@petertaylor4980 thanks for piquing my curiosity, had to go and Google that. I love the idea of an emergency which requires maple syrup as its solution.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

I mean, they could at least put a couple of armed guards around the facility. It's like they're not even trying to look badass!

[@DanDeebster]

Fort Chocs?

[@hansdado]

@@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 i thought that's what tom's there to do

[@maurorigo4228]

I'm amazed at how Tom finds topics for his videos. In many cases they're highly specific and unknown things, yet I always find them interesting and fascinating also thanks to the way they're presented. Tom's truly unique!

[@Varksterable]

You'll love the podcast "No Such Thing as a Fish." They come up with 4 topics like this every week, and often diverge via banter to discuss many others. The show is produced by the 'QI elves' - the people who do the research for QI. There has been more than one occasion where Tom has done a video on a same/similar subject as NSTAAF. But given the nature of the channels this is hardly surprising. Even less so when you consider that Tom was guest on OSTAAF in one episode..

[@maurorigo4228]

@@Varksterable oh that's interesting, thanks for the tip!

[@DannySullivanMusic]

yep. 10000% true dude

[@blokvader8283]

Tom is a goddamn master of just making things work Such a long introduction to perfectly end up right at that sign, that's impressive as hell.

[@chelsey8737]

Ikr it was really satisfying

[@Islacrusez]

I’d like to know how much setup that took.

[@Joe-ij6of]

the youtube oner

[@Moccy.]

Excellent. paused the video just to look to see if anyone else noticed and was not disappointed :)

[@LeifNelandDk]

Start at the sign, read the script while walking in one direction, turn around, start camera, talk and walk back.

[@Greenchrysopsaro]

As a seller of Gourmet Chocolate I really appreciate what these fine people are doing

[@cablecar10]

What about the child slavery

[@aniusers]

@@cablecar10 any aspect of goods that are made using manual labor have an uncertain possibility of coming from some kind of sweatshop, child labor or not- "you are a consumer (seller in this case) therefore you support child labor" is not a valid argument.

[@vedantbhard]

@@aniusers I'm genuinely curious on why these people have an issue with Chocolate being potentially made with child labour but not any other product. Obviously everyone is against child labour, but it seems strangely targeted towards chocolate

[@Scrungge]

@@aniusers The cocoa plantations in Ivory Coast and Ghana(which produce almost all the cocoa in the world) are some of the worst offenders of Child labour and forced labour from human trafficking in the world. It just doesn't compare. Buy fair trade chocolate, don't buy Mondelez & Nestlé.

[@MarianKeller]

@@Scrungge Even most products of Mondelez and Nestlé are UTZ certified, which should mean no child or forced labour.

[@MRW2022]

Ooh I hope you managed to interview an Oompa Loompa

[@thedoors1388]

There is a similar facility for citrus located in California, the University of California Riverside Citrus Variety Collection. Unfortunately, because it is located in a citrus growing region, they have to be very diligent to make sure no outside diseases end up infecting their over 1,000 citrus varieties. Also, all the growers I know who grow Theobroma cacao refer to the plant as cacao, not cocoa. That could be a difference in American English and British English. There are a surprising number of people growing cacao in greenhouses in temperate areas of the United States.

[@Lanxe]

My understanding is it's a cacao plant which produces raw cacao is then roasted into cocoa, which in turn is made into chocolate. Cocoa = roasted cacao. AU English for reference.

[@colinhendry6116]

I was gonna mention the Riverside facility! Inland Empire represent

[@helentee9863]

@@Lanxe yes,you can actually by unroasted ground cacao to make into a drink, in healthfood shops, but l wouldn't particularly recommend it :))

[@skyjustplayin9355]

Dang even chocolate becoming as rare as MSRP graphic cards

[@liliambean]

"International Cocoa Quarantine Centre" has got to be one of the best "Tom Scott slowly walks up to a sign" reveals

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

Spoiled by the thumbnail, unfortunately! 😀

[@marklonergan3898]

I know these videos have to be short, but it would have been interesting to know what % of quarantined items get destroyed. Also, if 1 plant is infected, what's to stop it infecting neighbouring plants (i know the "safe" ones are in a separate building, but presumably there are precautions to prevent 1 positive plant from infecting everything in the quarantine zone)

[@taliesine.8343]

Well then I guess the video has done it's job! Tom made a video about a topic we knew nothing about moments ago and within minutes ppl long for more information on that topic :D

[@danieljensen2626]

I would assume plants from different sources are kept in separate rooms. Otherwise it isn't much of a quarantine.

[@marklonergan3898]

@@danieljensen2626 in principle i agree, but from the size of it and given that a lot of it is taken up by safe plants, that doesn't leave much area left for a multi-national hub to quarantine in, unless each area only sends a small amount.

[@onyxrafle8066]

@@marklonergan3898 I don't think they get all that much product coming in because their plants are specifically for breeders who only need a small cutting of a plant.

[@charleslambert3368]

Presumably anything that was obviously infected would have been stopped at or before the UK border.

[@cjxgraphics]

I used to deliver plants and flowers in the US. Found out through work, there are quarantined areas of the country, that you cannot import/export certain plants. For example, fire ants are a problem in the southern US, so a lot of plants can't be shipped past a certain point north. Certain fungus exist in the west, but aren't a problem unless there is high humidity. And so those could not be imported to our area. I don't know all the details, just what was important for my job. :)

[@cauchyschwarz3295]

Watching this channel is a bit like having an algorithm that visits random wiki pages, and sorts the uninteresting ones out.

[@michieliosios]

We don’t talk enough about Tom’s absolute talent in writing his opening statements and coördinating his walks and camera angles accordingly. (00:47)

[@ForeignManinaForeignLand]

Tom walking & talking is the best start to my morning

[@Dan-Ellis]

especially when syncronised so well with the arrival at that sign!

[@Craigels]

As someone with only a moderate to large chocolate addiction I commend the great work these people are doing a lot!

[@AndrewPonti]

Thank GOD the British have this under control. A true joy of life would be lost if chocolate was not readily available at reasonable prices. One of my favorite things in the world.

[@clockworkkirlia7475]

"Thank GOD the British have this under control." I am British, and this sentence *still* makes me incredibly anxious.

[@trla6505]

@@clockworkkirlia7475 is your hands now, the world is waching

[@AndrewPonti]

@@clockworkkirlia7475 I am American, and it’s better in your hands these days. I don’t want the crazies here getting their hands on it. Science isn’t the forte of 35% of people here 😬

[@AndrewPonti]

@@trla6505 exactly.

[@richardharrold9736]

@@AndrewPonti 35%, is that the percentage who think Trump won?

[@whatsupdog3968]

Tom Scott is undefeated when it comes to making videos about topics you’d never even think about

[@Amistrulez]

I heard that the taste of common bananas was changed due to a need for a more pest resillent plant. Do you think this could lead to a change in cocos taste?

[@david_rocky_road]

Nice you listen to Sam too :))

[@Hobbyrepubliken]

Not because of need for more pest resiliance but due to the old tasting sort almost died out

[@michaelgusovsky]

It was a fungal disease, actually, called panama disease. The gros Michel banana variety was dominant before the outbreak. Now, cavendish variety accounts for vast majority of banana exports, which is unfortunate, as cavendish isn’t a particularly tasty or flavorful banana, just resistant to the fungus.

[@Damindeater]

@@Hobbyrepubliken it almost died out because it wasn't resillient regarding the Panama disease.

[@beltanewalk8797]

Cadbury didn't wait for that to happen. They altered the recipe and taste of their Dairy Milk Chocolate. It's now a inferior product, used to be smooth and creamy but now waxy and bland.

[@M3WDD]

1990 and I'm working for Cadbury in Ghana. "Can you take some samples back to UK for for 'Reading'" (including some overripe cocoa pods). Flying into Birmingham via Amsterdam and for the one and only time I'm led into one of the interview rooms. "What's in your bag?" Apparently the drug sniffer spaniel had gone wild and the customs agents thought they were on to a major drugs haul. Cadbury ID card did the trick. "Next time bring us some chocolate".

[@krashd]

You worked for Cadbury's, not Cadbury 😉

[@M3WDD]

@@krashd Thank you. It is good to learn I've been getting it wrong these past 37 years of working for... Cadbury Schweppes Cadbury Ltd Cadbury Trebor Basset Whilst making Cadbury Dairy Milk™ Cadbury Creme Egg™ and visiting Cadbury World

[@AngryKittens]

It still tickles me how "cocoa" in English is pronounced "kokow". Coming from a country where we actually grow it. We pronounce it "koh-kwa". Also the plants themselves are called CACAO (kah-kao). P.S. And the flesh of cacao fruits are quite delicious. Similar to mangosteen or santol, if you've eaten either of them before. But like coffee berries (whose berries are actually sweet), most westerners are only familiar with the seeds ("beans").

[@mikeprice25]

I think a lot of UK chocolatiers refer to it as Cacao. I've watched Paul A Young refer it is as such, so don't think it's unknown here but less common for sure.

[@AnnaEmilka]

In Polish we also pronounce it "kah-kao", both for the plant and the product!

[@algallero3310]

I never knew Mangosteen and Santol were the same thing...

[@JimRFF]

The word "cocoa" is literally a spelling error. It's a mistranscribed version of the word 'cacao' that became popularized in the English-speaking world in the 18th century because no one had invented spell check yet

[@Leo-gk4ue]

Very interesting!

[@vmgNarra]

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how perfectly Tom timed his walk to end up at the sign?

[@MammothChats]

Nice to know we’re not the only species suffering from nasty disease

[@blunderingfool]

Not to mention a certain species of pest that openly hates us and isn't sorry about it, unlike our gulible asses.

[@kevinm5940]

@@blunderingfool what

[@rebelfriend1818]

Misery loves company

[@FrozenBusChannel]

We're the only species that invents nasty disease to kill millions of our own kind

[@lazydroidproductions1087]

We must protect this building at all costs

[@BrianHurry]

Just want to say how much I appreciate you sharing your world with us. I don't get out of my house a lot and I certainly don't get out of my country ever. There's no way we would ever know about so many interesting different things without watching your show and shows like yours. You're most mundane video is still one of the most entertaining parts of my day. Please keep up the good work and the constant uploading ,that's the best part of my week.

[@poonholder5643]

Mabe talk about the quarantine centres in the Northern Territory Tom Scott?!

[@WestExplainsBest]

I wonder when they'll sell at-home testing kits for chocolate...

[@ForestFisk]

I love that your content is sometimes so random. But I also enjoy what you post. So thank you very much for all of your work.

[@gfjmember]

This video does raise a question. So, if there's a quarantine breach it should be OK, because the UK doesn't grow cocoa, and any diseases are extremely unlikely to take root. About a minute prior, Dr Daymond mentioned a potato centre in Scotland...

[@highpath4776]

Indeed a harsh frost will kill spuds and tomatoes. Plus potatoes tend to be an annual crop not possible to reproduce by cuttings, so you are looking at the tubers or seeds generally, which can be kept while transported in dry conditions. I am not aware of viruses in potatoes , but they are susceptible to rot, so one is looking for rot resistant ones as well as yield , shape and taste

[@artgreen6915]

@@highpath4776 PVY

[@_s_9920]

Scotland is ideal for growing potatoes as their region prevents several major potato diseases. You're thinking of Ireland that had the potato blight

[@krashd]

@@_s_9920 That was the OP's point, if a disease escaped the quarantine centre in Scotland it would easily take root in local plants.

[@Yora21]

@@highpath4776 I don't think any leafy plants are impossible to reproduce from cuttings. There might be some where it's very difficult to pull it of, and there certainly are many where it makes no economic sense. But if you can keep a piece of plant from drying out before it can grow new roots, and the piece is large enough to hold sufficient stored nutrients for that, it should be possible.

[@chriswood5205]

Been watching your channel since lock-down #1, but never expected you to pop up with a report from just down the road. I fell over this place on a walk a few years back, and I've wondering about it ever since. Great to find out more.

[@jonashelmke2564]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's some "aura" about these videos or something that's hard to grasp but just feels kinda cozy and life-affirming. Tom Scott is the soul food of youtube.

[@trislean171]

It is things like this That truly make me realise we are not all stupid Bringing plants in-and-out of the country Should be left to the professionals With the facilities like this to ensure they stay safe So everybody else Please buy your plants and shrubs What are home grown In a great country I have seen the devastation it can cause

[@greensteve9307]

Agreed. It's for this reason that Australia has such massive fines if you breach our strict biosecurity laws.

[@GuanoLad]

I remember six months ago when you put out the video admitting you were almost out of new ideas for videos and requested suggestions. This is exactly the kind of unusual thing I was imagining would be put forward.

[@rather_be_a_cat]

I've not been well for a couple of years and it's hard to concentrate through the pain a lot of the time, but your videos are concise enough to not lose concentration but informative enough to be worth watching, so thanks.

[@SolidIncMedia]

The timing needed to end your opening monologue right as you approached that sign was amazing. Dunno how many takes it took, but I noticed it.

[@groupef]

Tom whatever you're doing, keep doing it. Im coming back daily to check for new videos. You're one of the few channels on KZbin that actually keep their content interesting.

[@duckph]

Check every Monday (GMT) for new Tom Scott videos!

[@krashd]

Another would be his American brother-from-a-Scott-surnamed-mother Joe Scott? The Brothers Scott are where I get all of my trivia from!

[@mackn2211]

The walk and talk videos are back, and I’m all for them

[@user-cg2iq5qs2y]

British people are sooo good, they always protect us🤗🤗🤗

[@mariashaffer-gordon3561]

As a major chocoholic, may God bless you and the important work you do.

[@dejulesb974]

It's awesome seeing Puerto Rico cocoa in the UK. As always, great video Tom.

[@fedesoundsystem]

Massive shoutout to the ability to get te intro while walking and end just at the cocoa sign, while naming it!

[@maxwellday5096]

I love the main channel, but your current content on the second channel is amazing Tom. Also my friends saw you in Leather Lane street market not too long ago, I hope you enjoyed the food, I work around there.

[@trla6505]

Is this the main or second?

[@richardharrold9736]

@@trla6505 yes.

[@blindleader42]

@@richardharrold9736 For want of a comma.

[@OmikronPsy]

I notice people working with plants are very calm and patient.

[@drakonyanazkar]

As a brazilian who loves national 80% cocoa chocolate bars, I'm excited and totally behind this project! This was a very satisfying video.

[@blunderingfool]

Good grief that's some bitter chocolate. O.O

[@brunof1996]

Any particular brand? Every chocolate bar that I did buy from brazil was from "meh" to very bad.

[@drakonyanazkar]

@@brunof1996 My favorite is Raros Fazedores de Chocolate, from Cunha - SP. Nugali is a premium brand with great price and Chokolah doesn't disappoint. But there are others, of course. Depends on what you are looking for. I prefer my chocolate with nothing added (no nuts, no milk and so on)

[@highpath4776]

@@brunof1996 What you may need to recall, like wine, the seeds will gain flavour from the sun/rain/ and soil contents conditions. So something from one mountain or valley when processed could taste different to another area.

[@Silverbrick27]

I don’t think I’ve ever been as proud to have attended Reading Uni as I am now

[@PaintFire_]

I'd be interested to hear what their procedure is for when a contaminated sample is found, or if such an event has happened in their lab before.

[@commenturthegreat2915]

They just go "nope" and press the nuclear detonation button

[@davetdowell]

I'm betting fire is involved.

[@highpath4776]

@@davetdowell they said autoclave - then presumably it is burnt. A problem might happen if Reading gets hit by a tornado or similar.

[@davetdowell]

@@highpath4776 Are you worried it could cause a Firenado over Reading?

[@Cruxador]

They say towards the end, it's autoclaved and tossed.

[@captainredmaw]

Wow, the timing of the intro monologue lining up with you getting to the sign was incredibly satisfying

[@rogeriopenna9014]

Moniliophthora perniciosa, a fungus popularly known as Witch's Broom, devastated cocoa plantations in Brazil in the 90s, reducing in almost half the cocoa output of the country and the global share from 15% to 4%. Currently, Brazil needs to import cocoa to supply local demand. The genetic sequencing of the fungus was completed and researchers can access the genome on a database... hoping to mitigate our eliminate the problem

[@Epinardscaramel]

That's a smart last line of defence! If a virus manages to escape it's going to be very disapointed by the weather

[@allenthewizard7627]

Didnt know tom would meet willy wonka

[@BodomFox]

I watched it while eating nutella out of the can with a spoon, and I'm infinitely grateful to those people for their work.

[@JamesFreedmanIsVeryCool]

sorry did you just say can

[@germansnowman]

I apparently live a couple of minutes from this facility - I had no idea such a thing existed! As a chocolate addict, thanks for this video :)

[@D-049]

Depending where in the UoR I may be just under a 5 min walk from it. Didn't even know this existed

[@germansnowman]

@@D-049 My previous reply was removed because it contained a link. It’s not located on the campus but on the Hall Farm grounds near Shinfield, close to the Centre for Dairy Research.

[@fbiagentmiyakohoshino8223]

this laboratory is the real hero

[@zapfanzapfan]

Interesting place I had never heard about. Thank you Tom! And the people there too, keeping chocolate safe!

[@poonholder5643]

Mabe talk about the quarantine centres in the Northern Territory Tom Scott?!

[@BotAurelionSol]

Imagine being in quarantine for two years like the coco do Those are truly strong cocos

[@DracoVictorious]

Love the spotlights on important things that so few people know about.

[@MusicGunn]

A world without chocolate is not a world I care to live in. PLEASE, save the cocoa.

[@BruceNJeffAreMyFlies]

You should do a video on New Zealands biosecurity regarding plants and animals entering the country. It's a bit like this place, but on the scale of an entire nation and involving literally all plant and animal species rather than just cocoa. Something like 70-80% of our native plant species occur ONLY here so the potential for a polio-vs-Americas type disease is significant!

[@neilbradford8554]

Opening piece to camera there was just perfection. Finishing the last sentence as the sign appears 👏👏👏

[@QuestionablyIntelligent]

Super interesting! The fact that there's one for bananas too makes a lot of sense since they've been dealing with Panama Disease for decades now. It caused the global shift from the Gros Michel cultivar to the Cavendish back in the 1950s. I made my own video about it recently. *cough cough*

[@steemlenn8797]

It's funny that some places advertise with "Cavendish!!!". As if they could sell some that aren't.

[@Jojozilla426]

The way that guy says "plant" "grow" and "crop" is very pleasant

[@andywithers592]

That’s spooky… I was watching an old(ish) episode of QI last week (Series Q I guess) and this topic actually came up. Thanks for explaining it more fully Tom.

[@setharnold9764]

Thanks for this, I thought Tom already did this episode... Maybe I'm remembering an old qi instead.

[@nalgene247]

Ok, your timing on the opening shot was impeccable. Kudos.

[@chelsey8737]

Wait so if all the possibly infected plants are altogether in quarantine, how do they ensure the whole facility isn't infected and ruined?

[@SeverityOne]

Because they have different areas. That's the whole point of quarantine. It's not that the entire complex is one large interconnected quarantine area. That's why Tom isn't allowed in there (or he'd have to stay there for two years).

[@aikumaDK]

My uneducated guess would be for the same reason people were asked to quarantine if they tested positive for Covid. If every possible host is already infected, the pest runs out of new places to go..

[@TheFairyDickmother]

Why does this question even need to be asked....😑

[@EdMcF1]

@@SeverityOne One big storm might smash it all up. Chelsey is right.

[@SeverityOne]

@@EdMcF1 If there were one big storm, everything would be out in the open somewhere in southern England, an area not well known for favourable weather conditions to grow cocoa.

[@blueninja9263]

May this and other quarantine centers forever prosper. Lest I eventually lose out on my yearly Christmas ferro Roche and cry in a corner because of it.

[@PovlKvols]

As always both informative, well structured, and a pleasure to watch. Thank you for sharing!

[@jossc8280]

You know, there's so much crap in the world where a tiny lack of forethought led to massive devastating problems. It's nice to see cases where people really thought ahead about potential problems that would never even occur to the average person and created solutions before there was ever a disaster.

[@llblumire]

As a reading graduate, it makes me nervous that the international community trusts Agric with their cocoa 😂

[@jonathanwright6482]

It would have been nice to have a padlock on the tunnel that was actually in quarantine - it all looked a bit insecure 🤦‍♂

[@MattFowlerBTR]

The Agric building had the best lecture theatres on campus though, at least in 2000-2003 and based on my sample of where my Comp Sci lectures got spread wildly around the place. Comfy seats, good AV system, good HVAC.

[@georgeprout42]

@@jonathanwright6482 it's a farm that's separate to the main university campus, the whole area is secured.

[@Hydraas]

@@MattFowlerBTR The Agric building itself was nice but I would say it no longer has the best lecture halls. Edith Morley (formerly HumSS) got a refurbished lecture room and it is probably the nicest on campus. Although a new building opened 2020 that I never got a chance to see so possibly that could overtake it now

[@alternativeglasto]

@@georgeprout42 It's not that secure, you can just walk across the River Loddon and get to it if you turn right just after the ruined church.

[@leela_sz]

thinking about the thousands of people worrying and caring about the future of plants makes me feel so calm and safe

[@samuelalexander3306]

Forex trading is all about win and loss, the chances of loss is much higher when you don't follow the right step... It's a very simple logic

[@nawadoljantra5989]

Investing in stocks is a good idea, a good trading system would put you through many days of success.

[@nawadoljantra5989]

It is possible to produce superior performance provided you do something different from the majority.

[@starlove9762]

Most of us tend to pay more attention to the shiniest position in the market to the cost of proper diversification

[@starlove9762]

Having monitored my portfolio performance which has made a jaw dropping $370k from just the past two quarters alone, I have learned why experienced traders make enormous returns from the seemingly unknown market

[@marvinkinnel2920]

Do you trade on your own?

[@schtoobs]

Can I just applaud for a second the precision timing with which Tom arrives at the International Cocoa Quarantine Centre, both verbally and physically.

[@Nav10992]

this guy never disappoints.. absolute legend!

[@mrronnylives]

I'm happy to take you around my dad's cocoa farm if you ever happen to be in Ghana.

[@DogsWithPurpose]

It’s actually interesting how most food comes from plants since chocolate can be very intricate in its design but started out so simple.

[@NonisLuck]

Such PERFECT timing for that plaque reveal in the forst minute!

[@daandanx]

Thanks, now i'm craving some chocolate.

[@garrettk7166]

Thank you to these people for taking care of our chocolate! How can we help to fund/build this further? Establish greater levels of chocolate redundancy.

[@BP-gy1fd]

Toms content is just on another level🙏

[@reznovvazileski3193]

Real heroes don't wear capes. They do have massive quarantene units for plants apparently but hey, whatever it takes to get some of that bittersweet goodness.

[@davetdowell]

So it's not just a quarantine centre, it's an ark. From which safe supply could re-establish populations in climates where the plant does grow. Now, what we really want to know, is did you pace out the opening statement to ensure you arrived at the sign 'right on queue'?

[@Synchos90]

I didnt read the word 'chocolate' in the title and was very confused about the intro. It makes perfect sense now.

[@AWest-ns3dl]

I think there will be a lot more of these on food security in the next few years.

[@alibagheri3729]

The last line was a sign of relief for me

[@jbird4478]

Chocolate still very much is a luxury product. The people who work, or in many cases slave, in the cocoa plantations often have never had the privilege of tasting chocolate.

[@tsuki-no-akuma]

It's the small things, but your timing to arrive at that sign just as you introduced it, is impeccable.

[@technetium9653]

Damn even plants are quarantining

[@danielhansen1266]

Tom Scott has taught me that everything important can be found "in a rural bit of southern England"

[@elToroBandido]

Not British, but god save the Queen! Also not religious, but this is truly god's work! Do like chocolate, though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@howesy]

This is a matter of minutes from where I live, and I had absolutely no idea. Cracking video as ever!

[@zukaro]

It'd be cool if we'd build stacked indoor farms in colder climates. Imagine farming skyscrapers, in which each floor is a different climate, tuned to the specific needs of a given crop. Mind you, I imagine each floor would likely need to be wider than your typical skyscraper floor, but I think it'd be a really good way of doing things. Would make it very easy to prevent diseases from spreading, and would maximize crop yields. It could even be placed in the city, so it could provide extremely local food. The ground floor would be your standard supermarket, the second floor could be your warehouse, and the third floor on could be dedicated to growing crops. Such a thing could also be highly automated.

[@Teetuetenmogli]

And it would be a disaster for energy use and therefore klimate change...

[@blunderingfool]

Two words. Heat rises.

[@amiscellaneoushuman3516]

@@Teetuetenmogli that's only a problem if the energy is being produced through greenhouse gas emitting methods

[@svgPhoenix]

@@amiscellaneoushuman3516 you also have to think about all the raw materials that would be needed to build the thing, and possibly upgrade the energy grid to compensate for so many lighting fixtures. They stop being energy efficient when they need to mimick the sun so plants can grow under a roof.

[@amiscellaneoushuman3516]

@@svgPhoenix I was really replying to the second part about the climate impact not the part about the energy usage. Although, based on historical trends it's likely that our energy use will continue to increase meaning we'll need to heavily upgrade capacity anyway

[@AleksandrStrizhevskiy]

Telling people you are a chocolate scientist must be the biggest flex ever.