The global rice crisis
Rice feeds more than half the world—but also fuels diabetes and climate change
According to Indonesian legend, rice was bestowed upon the island of Java by the goddess Dewi Sri. Pitying its inhabitants the blandness of their existing staple, cassava, she taught them how to nurture rice seedlings in lush green paddy fields. In India, the Hindu goddess Annapurna is said to have played a similar role; in Japan, Inari. Across Asia, rice has been conferred with a divine, and usually feminine, origin story.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “The global rice crisis”
From the April 1st 2023 edition
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