A recent shortage of high-quality, low-cost rice in Japan has been pinned on the large number of tourists visiting the country, as well as hot weather exacerbated by climate change. But farmers and agricultural analysts say there’s something else at play — a decades-old government program that pays farmers not to plant their rice. Hannah Kirshner reports on some rice farms in Kaga, a town in the Hokuriku region along the Japan sea.
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!