Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Rice that Survives Floods

My friend Mark sent me to a news article about a new strain of rice that can survive flood waters. It was developed in the Philippines, but it was a group of scientists in Bangladesh that were singing its praises.

According to the article, about a fifth of Bangladesh disappears under flood waters every year, causing all kinds of havoc with their crops. This new strain of rice could be a god-send for them.

As Mark and I were talking, though, neither of us could help wondering why they would keep planting in fields that are destroyed by water every year.