It may be the world’s most consumed crop, but while the global footprint of meat and dairy are often debated, rice is rarely on the agenda. Yet its impact on climate change can be devastating. After beef, rice is the second biggest emitter of global greenhouse gases in all food production. At 2.1 gigatonnes per year, more than double the emissions of global air travel. Rice also uses more water than any other crop: as much as 5,000 litres to grow just 1kg — equivalent to a mind-boggling 63 full bathtubs of water.
