Photo Essay: The White Gold of Thailand

How a small Asian country became the world’s rice producer of last resort.

Vital Thais: As the worlds largest exporter of rice, a staple food for as many as 3 billion people, Thailand is a key link in the global food chain. The country produces roughly 20 million tons of rice annually, nearly half of which it exports. Globally, just 6 percent of all rice grown each year is exported, and Thai rice accounts for about a third of all rice traded on the international market.

Photo: Chumsak Kanoknan/ Getty Images

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