A staple for half the world

A food that sustains half the world

Soaring prices for rice, a staple for more than half the world’s population, are leading to shortages, government protection of domestic stocks and even political unrest in some poorer countries.

* Most of the 3 billion-plus people for whom rice is a staple are in Asia. But it is also an essential food in parts of Africa and the Caribbean.

* About 645 million tons of rice was grown in 114 countries in 2007. Rocketing prices have caused several countries to ban or restrict exports, as growing appetites in China and India, drought in Australia and pests in Vietnam add to fears that millions of people may be cut off.

* Thailand, which ships one-third of the world’s rice exports, may follow its Asian neighbors in limiting sales. That would further tighten supplies and send prices higher.

* There’s no shortage of rice in the United States. The nation exports as much as half of its crop each year.

* A member of the grass family, rice was first farmed about 10,000 years ago. Thought to be native to deltas around the Ganges, Yangtze, Tigris and Euphrates rivers, rice now grows on every continent except Antarctica. As well as being cooked, the grain is processed to make cakes, wine, flour and vinegar.

Times research and Reuters