Why is rice an important food crop?

1. Why is rice an important food
crop?
Year 9 – Humanities

2. Learning Intentions
• The environmental, economic and
technological factors that influence how we
grow food in Australia and the rest of the
world.

3. Key Terms
• monocultural
• crop rotation
• biodiversity

4. World rice production 2010

5. Food Security
• Food security, which is the condition of having
enough food to provide adequate nutrition for a
healthy life, is a critical issue in the developing
world.
• About 3 billion people, nearly half the world's
population, depend on rice for survival.
• In Asia as a whole, much of the population
consumes rice in every meal. In many countries,
rice accounts for more than 70% of human caloric
intake.

6. Planting rice in paddy fields in north-
east Thailand

7. Factors affecting rice production in
Asia
• Climate and topography
• Irrigation
• Pests and diseases
• Technology
• Environmental issues

8. Harvesting rice near Griffith, New
South Wales

9. Factors affecting rice production in
Australia
• Climate and topography
• Sowing and irrigation
• Pests and diseases
• Technology
• Environmental issues