Rice

staple food · grain · Asia · farming

Feeds billions. Rice is the main food for over half the world's population, especially in Africa and Asia. In 2023 alone, people grew 800 million tons of it, that's enough to fill millions of trucks!

Ancient crop. People started growing rice in China between 13,500 and 8,200 years ago, making it one of humanity's oldest farmed foods. African rice was domesticated separately in West Africa about 3,000 years ago.

Grown everywhere. Rice is now the third most-produced crop in the world, after sugarcane and corn. China, India, and Indonesia grow and eat the most rice of any countries.

Pest challenges. Rice farmers battle insects, rodents, birds, and diseases like rice blast that can damage their crops. Some clever farmers use duck-farming methods to control pests naturally without chemicals.

Trade troubles. Even though 800 million tons of rice are produced yearly, less than 8% is traded between countries. In developing nations, lots of rice is lost after harvest due to poor storage and transportation.