Five Facts About Rice, Staple For Half The World
Soaring prices are hitting rice, a staple food for more than half the earth's population, causing political unrest, supply bottlenecks, and sometimes draconian moves by governments to protect domestic stocks. Most of the 3 billion-plus people for whom rice is a diet basic are in Asia, but it is also important in areas of Africa and the Caribbean. Here are five facts about the cash-crop.