What is the most widely grown crop in the world?
Quick answer
Wheat is the world’s most widely cultivated cereal by harvested area, grown on about 220 million hectares each year, more land than any other food crop. Maize (corn), however, produces the biggest harvest by weight, over a billion tonnes a year. Rice feeds the most people directly.
The big three cereals
| Crop | Harvested area (approx.) | Yearly production (approx.) | Main use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat | ~220 million ha | ~800 million tonnes | Bread, pasta, noodles |
| Maize (corn) | ~200 million ha | ~1.2 billion tonnes | Animal feed, biofuel, food, corn syrup |
| Rice | ~165 million ha | ~800 million tonnes (paddy) | Eaten directly by billions |
Figures from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) vary a little from year to year.
Why wheat covers the most land
Wheat grows in a huge range of climates, from Canada and Russia to India, Argentina and Australia. It tolerates cold winters (winter wheat) and dry conditions. But its yield per hectare is lower than maize, so it needs more land.
Where they’re grown
| Crop | Top producers |
|---|---|
| Wheat | China, India, Russia, United States |
| Maize | United States, China, Brazil |
| Rice | China, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia |
A 10,000-year-old crop
Wheat was one of the first plants ever domesticated, in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East around 10,000 years ago. Ancient varieties include einkorn and emmer. Today’s bread wheat is a natural hybrid of three ancient grasses.
Not just cereals
If you count all crops, sugarcane is the world’s biggest crop by tonnage, around 1.9 billion tonnes a year, though it’s mostly water and fiber.
From grain to plate
- Wheat flour becomes bread; see how to make sourdough bread.
- A special short-grain rice makes creamy Italian dishes; see what rice is used for risotto.
- Popcorn is a special type of maize; see why popcorn pops.
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