Rice is a staple food in many cultures. It could be easily identified as the world's most popular food. According to the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), however, growth in rice yields is slowing and is already falling behind population growth. Though most rice farmers are poor, many national policies still favor the consumer and export market. With the launch of the International Year of Rice in 2004, FAO is hoping this situation will turn around.

The year's theme is "Rice is life," echoing the importance of rice as a primary food source, and is drawn from an understanding that rice-based systems are essential for food security, poverty alleviation and improved livelihoods, says FAO. The organization makes a good case for its argument: of the 840 million people suffering from chronic hunger, more than 50 percent live in areas dependent on rice production for food, income and employment; rice cultivation is the principal activity and source of income for about 100 million households in Asia and Africa; and about four-fifths of the world's rice is produced by small-scale farmers and is consumed locally