Rice

Rice is the most extensively utilized grain in the world; it serves as the principal food for more than half of the world’s population and, since ancient times, has been the most commonly used food grain. Although it is not one of the most nutritious grains, consisting of over 80 percent carbohydrate, it still provides enough vitamins and minerals to mean the difference between survival and starvation in many Third World countries. A member of the grass family, Gramineae, rice can be grown successfully under climatic conditions ranging from tropical to temperate. When cultivated properly, rice produces higher yields than any other grain with the exception of corn; although the total area planted in rice is much smaller than that devoted to wheat, the rice crop feeds a far greater proportion of the world’s population.