Tag Archives: food

Why is rice an important commodity?

Rice is an important commodity for several reasons. It is a staple food for over half of the world’s population, and is a major source of nutrition and caloric intake for people in many developing countries. Rice is also an important crop for small-scale farmers and rural communities, as it is relatively easy to grow and requires less water and land than many other staple crops. Additionally, rice is used in a wide range of cultural and traditional dishes, and its cultivation has social, economic, and environmental importance.

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How Americans Spent Money in 2012

 

how americans spend money

Housing, food, transportation, and clothing account for an estimated 66% of income spent for an average American household in 2012.

According to The Atlantic, housing, food and clothing account for more than 60% of expenses for the poor. Basically, most of their income is spent is covering basic needs and not much, or none, is left for savings. The rich, by contrast, have a larger margin that can be spent in entertainment, insurance, and savings.

Source: The Atlantic: Where Americans—Rich and Poor—Spent Every Dollar in 2012

 

Internet Connectivity in the United States

As part of the PBS series America Revealed, this aerial visualization shows the patterns of internet distribution in the United States. We can see that the regions with highest levels of internet connectivity include the Northeast, and parts of the South and Midwest, followed by the Pacific West.

For additional interesting aerial visualizations, such as the distribution of the unemployed, electricity network routes, public transportation paths, U.S. imports and exports of beef patterns, the distribution of the population in towns and cities, etc., visit: The Roosevelt’s – Aerial Data Visualisation Reveals Life In The United States.

Food Spending by Country

Food spending by country

The share of household spending devoted to food and drink varies widely by country, as shown in the chart above recently published by The Economist using data from the US Department of Agriculture. The chart shows that Americans spend less than 10% of their income on food and drink, whereas people in Cameroon spend close to 50%. What percentage of your income pays for food and drink?