Consumption

Rice in all its forms accounts for 20% of the total human caloric supply worldwide, with figures reaching up to 75% in certain areas of Asia. The world consumed 511,675,000 tons of rice, or enough to provide over 2,700 calories per day per person, in 1998, the last year this estimate was published. Even though everyone could derive all their daily calories from this popular grain, a large amount of rice goes to feed various livestock, accounting for the apparent disparity in consumption statistics. In the United States, each person eats approximately 20 pounds of rice per year. These facts are excerpted from the IRRI rice summary and the USDA consumption summary.

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Production

The production of rice occurs in multiple steps, which take it from rough paddy rice to packaged milled rice. About 55% of harvested rice finishes as whole kernel. 15% is broken, 20% is removed as the hull, and 10% is composed of of rice bran. The flow chart below, adapted from the US Rice Products Association's web site, depicts the process by which rice is made ready for human consumption.

In summary, the first step a mill takes is to clean the straw and foreign materials from the rice. Next, the rough rice passes through a sheller, which removes the hull but leaves the bran layers. The remaining brown rice may then be milled to remain the bran layers by rubbing the grains together. The finished milled product may then be packaged for sale.

 

Distribution

Rice production occurs throughout most wet regions of the world, particularly in Asia. In the United States, rice farming is limited to three main regions: the coastal prairie region of southwestern Louisiana and
southeastern Texas; eastern Arkansas, southeastern Missouri, and northwestern Mississippi; and the central valleys of California. In 1996, over 171 million ctw. of rice were produced on 2.8 million acres land, for a record 6,121 pounds of rice per acre. Nearly 500 million tons of rice were produced worldwide in 1998. For various facts by country, consult the IRRI rice summary.

Harvested rice is shipped worldwide, with 27 million tons imported and 28.6 million tons of exported in 1998. Asia leads the market as both the biggest rice importer and exporter: Bangladesh imports the most, while Thailand exports the most. Less than 5% of the world's rice harvest is moved in trade.

 

Land Use

The figure below depicts examples of land use mixtures found within 2-km buffers around eight of the 104 studied rice fields in California. Rice fields with more homogeneous surrounding land, such as those on the left side of the image, were associated with lower mosquito production. Rice fields with pasture, orchard, and native vegetation in their surroundings tended to have higher mosquito densities.

From nasa.gov.

Agrochemicals

Rice farmers in Arkansas and Louisiana made one or more applications of nitrogen fertilizer to 98% of their acreage, phosphate to 34%, and potash to 37% for a total of 334.1 million pounds of fertitilizer. Approximately 97% of the acreage in the two states was treated with herbicides, 11% with insecticides, and 21% with fungicides. The commonly used herbicides were propanil, molinate, thiobencarb, fenoxaprop-ethyl, and 2,4-D, totaling approximately 11.3 million pounds including other less frequently used herbicides. 86,000 pounds of the insecticide carbofuran and a combined 216,000 pounds of fungicides benomyl and propiconazole were also used. (Ref: Cornell/USDA). See the EPA web site for information about each of these chemicals and their estimated health risks for humans.

 

Food Safety

These are the maximum allowable levels given by the EPA for pesticide levels in rice:

Chemical Name	Crop	PPM
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid	RICE	0.1
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid	RICE, STRAW	20.0
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid	RICE, WILD	0.1
2-(Thiocyanomethylthio)benzothiazole	RICE, GRAIN	0.1
2-(Thiocyanomethylthio)benzothiazole	RICE, STRAW	0.1
3',4'-Dichloropropionanilide	RICE	2.0
3',4'-Dichloropropionanilide	RICE, BRAN	10
3',4'-Dichloropropionanilide	RICE, HULLS	10
3',4'-Dichloropropionanilide	RICE, MILLED FRACTIONS	10
3',4'-Dichloropropionanilide	RICE, POLISHINGS	10
3',4'-Dichloropropionanilide	RICE, STRAW	75.0
Aluminum phosphide (residues calculated as phosphide)	RICE (POST-H)	0.1
Azoxystrobin	RICE, GRAIN	5.0
Azoxystrobin	RICE, HULLS	20
Azoxystrobin	RICE, STRAW	12
Benomyl	RICE	5.0
Benomyl	RICE, HULLS	20
Benomyl	RICE, STRAW	15.0
Benoxacor	RICE, FODDER	0.01
Benoxacor	RICE, FORAGE	0.01
Benoxacor	RICE, GRAIN	0.01
Bensulfuron-methyl	RICE	0.02
Bensulfuron-methyl	RICE, STRAW	0.3
Bentazon	RICE, GRAIN	0.05
Bentazon	RICE, STRAW	3.0
Carbaryl	RICE	5.0
Carbaryl	RICE, STRAW	100.0
Carbofuran	RICE	0.2
Carbofuran	RICE, STRAW	1.0
Carboxin	RICE	0.2
Carboxin	RICE, STRAW	0.2
Carfentrazone-ethyl	GRAIN, CEREAL (CG 15), STRAW (EXC RICE)	0.10
Carfentrazone-ethyl	RICE, GRAIN	0.1
Carfentrazone-ethyl	RICE, STRAW	1.0
Chitosan	RICE	-
Chloropicrin	RICE, GRAIN (POST-H)	-
Chlorpyrifos-methyl	RICE, GRAIN	6.0
Chlorpyrifos-methyl	RICE, MILLED FRACTIONS (EXC FLOUR)	30
Clofencet	GRAIN, CEREAL (EXC RICE,WILD RICE,SWEET CORN,WHEAT), FORAGE	4.0
Clofencet	GRAIN, CEREAL (EXC RICE,WILD RICE,SWEET CORN,WHEAT), GRAIN	20.0
Clofencet	GRAIN, CEREAL (EXC RICE,WILD RICE,SWEET CORN,WHEAT), HAY	15.0
Clofencet	GRAIN, CEREAL (EXC RICE,WILD RICE,SWEET CORN,WHEAT), STOVER	1.0
Clofencet	GRAIN, CEREAL (EXC RICE,WILD RICE,SWEET CORN,WHEAT), STRAW	4.0
Clomazone	RICE, GRAIN	0.05
Clomazone	RICE, GRAIN	0.02
Clomazone	RICE, STRAW	0.05
Clomazone	RICE, STRAW	0.02
Colletotrichum gloeosporioides spores	RICE, GRAIN	-
Diflubenzuron	RICE, GRAIN	0.02
Diflubenzuron	RICE, STRAW	0.8
Disulfoton	RICE	0.75
Disulfoton	RICE, STRAW	5.0
Endothall	RICE, GRAIN	0.05
Endothall	RICE, STRAW	0.05
Fenoxaprop-ethyl	RICE, GRAIN	0.05
Fipronil	RICE, GRAIN	0.04
Fipronil	RICE, STRAW	0.10
Flutolanil	RICE, BRAN	10.0
Flutolanil	RICE, GRAIN	7.0
Flutolanil	RICE, HULLS	25.0
Flutolanil	RICE, STRAW	10.0
Gibberellins	RICE	-
Halosulfuron	RICE, GRAIN	0.05
Halosulfuron	RICE, STRAW	0.2
Imazethapyr, ammonium salt	RICE, BRAN	2.5
Imazethapyr, ammonium salt	RICE, GRAIN	0.30
Imazethapyr, ammonium salt	RICE, HULLS	1.5
Imazethapyr, ammonium salt	RICE, STRAW	0.20
Inorganic bromides resulting from fumigation with carbondisulfide, carbon tetrachloride, ethylene dibromide and/or methyl bromide (185.3475) (residues calculated as Br)	RICE, CRACKED	125
Inorganic bromides resulting from fumigation with methyl bromide, ethylene dibromide, and/or 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (185.3700, 186.3700)	RICE, MILLED FRACTIONS	125
Iprodione	RICE, BRAN	30.0
Iprodione	RICE, GRAIN	10.0
Iprodione	RICE, HULLS	50.0
Iprodione	RICE, STRAW	20.0
Lagenidium giganteum mycelium	RICE, GRAIN	0.
Lagenidium giganteum mycelium	RICE, STRAW	0
Lagenidium giganteum mycelium	RICE, WILD	0
Lambda-cyhalothrin	RICE, GRAIN	1.0
Lambda-cyhalothrin	RICE, HULLS	5.0
Lambda-cyhalothrin	RICE, STRAW	1.8
MCPA	RICE, GRAIN	0.1
MCPA	RICE, STRAW	2.0
Malathion	RICE, GRAIN (PRE & POST-H)	8.0
Malathion	RICE, WILD	8.0
Maleic hydrazide	RICE, BRAN	180
Maleic hydrazide	RICE, GRAIN	105
Maleic hydrazide	RICE, HULLS	240
Maleic hydrazide	RICE, STRAW	75
Methoprene	RICE	5.0
Methoprene	RICE, HULLS	25
Methoxychlor	RICE, GRAIN, STORED (POST-H)	2.0
Methyl bromide	RICE (POST-H)	50.0
Methyl parathion	RICE	1
Metolachlor	RICE, FODDER	0.5
Metolachlor	RICE, FORAGE	0.5
Metolachlor	RICE, GRAIN	0.1
Molinate	RICE	0.1
Molinate	RICE, STRAW	0.1
Paraquat bis(methyl sulfate)	RICE	0.05
Paraquat bis(methyl sulfate)	RICE, STRAW	0.06
Paraquat dichloride	RICE	0.05
Paraquat dichloride	RICE, STRAW	0.06
Parasitoid insects	RICE	-
Parathion	RICE	1.0
Pendimethalin	RICE, GRAIN	0.05
Phosphine	RICE, GRAIN	0.1
Piperonyl butoxide	RICE (POST-H)	20.0
Propiconazole	RICE, GRAIN	0.1
Propiconazole	RICE, STRAW	3.0
Propiconazole	RICE, WILD	0.5
Propionic acid	RICE	-
Pyrethrins	RICE (POST-H)	3.0
Quinclorac	RICE, BRAN	15.0
Quinclorac	RICE, GRAIN	5.0
Quinclorac	RICE, STRAW	12.0
Sodium acifluorfen	RICE, GRAIN	0.1
Sodium acifluorfen	RICE, STRAW	0.1
Sodium chlorate	RICE	-
Sodium chlorate	RICE, STRAW	-
Thiabendazole	RICE, HULLS	8
Thiabendazole	RICE, ROUGH	3.0
Thiabendazole	RICE, STRAW	10.0
Thiobencarb	RICE, GRAIN	0.2
Thiobencarb	RICE, STRAW	1.0
Triclopyr	RICE	0.3
Triclopyr	RICE, STRAW	10.0
Trifluralin	GRAIN, CROPS (EXCL. CORN, SWEET GRAIN)	0.05
Urea	RICE	-

 

Ecological Impact

One of the most major effects rice production has on the environment is methane production, which leads to global warming. In the last 200 years, the concentration of methane in the atmosphere has more than doubled, with a 50% increase in the last 40 years. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is approximately 20 times more radiatively active than CO2. It is estimated that the increase in methane concentration has contributed about 15% of the current greenhouse effects.