The objective of this Handbook is to summarize global coverage of recent information on policy instruments used by governments to realize objectives related to rice production and supply, rice markets, and trade. Unlike previous work that focuses only on Asia, this Handbook attempts to provide a more comprehensive documentation of rice policies for Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East.
Rice policies remain quite significant in many countries in these regions. Rice continues to play a significant role in food security in Asia and Africa, where rice production contributes 89% and 5% to global rice production, respectively. The changing role of rice in these two regions dramatically intensifies the need for information among policymakers who attach great weight to national food security imperatives in the crafting of rice programs. Similar to the United States and exporting countries in Asia, Latin America is also highly relevant for the world rice market since it houses some key rice exporters (i.e., Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay). Likewise, rice is an important traded commodity in the Middle East, accounting for 13% of the world’s rice imports based on USDA estimates for 2023. Overall, this Handbook covers 70 countries and regions, which collectively account for 99% of global rice production and 98% of consumption.
