Rice

As a cereal grain, domesticated rice is the most widely consumed staple food for over half of the world’s human population, especially in Asia and Africa. It is the agricultural commodity with the third-highest worldwide production, after sugarcane and maize. Rice is the most important food crop with regard to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than one-fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by humans. The rice plant can grow to 1–1.8 m (3–6 ft) tall, occasionally more depending on the variety and soil fertility. It has long, slender leaves 50–100 cm (20–40 in) long and 2–2.5 cm broad. The edible seed is a grain 5–12 mm long and 2–3 mm thick. Cooked unenriched long-grain white rice is composed of 68% water, 28% carbohydrates, 3% protein, and negligible . Rice requires slightly more water to produce than other grains.Rice production uses almost a third of Earth’s fresh water.Water outflows from rice fields through transpiration, evaporation,seepage, and percolation. It is estimated that it takes about 2,500 litres (660 US gal) of water need to be supplied to account for all of these outflows and produce 1 kilogram (2 lb 3 oz) of rice.