Rice Can Feed the World — Even With Fewer Farmers
The world’s most important crop for food security is reaching its lowest price in 18 years.
Rice prices near their lowest in 18 years suggest the climate crisis won’t starve the world.
Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
In a world worried about looming food shortages triggered by the climate crisis, the collapse in rice prices — now approaching their lowest in 18 years — is evidence that interventions by governments and modern agricultural methods may save the day. The key is productivity: more food from fewer farmers.
When we think about technological advances, what comes to mind are the internet, smartphones and now the arrival of artificial intelligence. But farming has enjoyed a dramatic and often overlooked productivity revolution: Over the last century, crop yields have exploded.
Rice is a great example. In 1975, farmers around the world harvested an average of 2.4 metric tons per hectare; the yield improved to 3.8 tons by 2000, and today it’s almost doubled to 4.7 tons. Other crops, from corn to soybean to wheat, have also experienced massive gains, allowing larger crops even in more difficult climate conditions. And those gains can be sustained.