Rice, it’s a staple food for many in Asia. It provides 1/3 of the energy in the average Asian diet and is the income source for more than 500 million people. So, what is the future of our staple foods like rice? And how do we address the uncertainty that we face in these changing times?
Climate change poses a threat to agriculture and to the way of life for many in Southeast Asia. Along with this threat comes many challenges to food security. Floods, typhoons, storm surge, rising seas levels, droughts, and increased temperatures form a myriad of issues that require urgent solutions to ensure the sustainability of even the most basic of foods – rice. Rice crops are acutely sensitive to changes in the climate. Over 90 per cent of the world’s rice is produced in Southeast Asia and is the staple food of more than 4 billion people. We travel across the region to look at rice research in the Philippines, water resources in Vietnam, and the latest in vertical farming in Singapore. Can science and technology work together to create a sustainable food future? We explore these challenges and solutions with Principal Investigator Janice Lee.
