Rice paddy fields at sunset, near Ranomafana, Haute Matsiatra Region, Madagascar, Africa

Man ploughing rice paddy with pair of bullocks, ready for planting new crop of rice, family helping, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia

Rice paddy fields in the highlands, Tana Toraja, Sulawesi, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Woman planting out rice in a paddy field, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Longsheng terraced ricefields in June, Guangxi Province, China, Asia

Rice paddy fields, with heavy monsoon clouds gathering over volcanic crater hills across Lake Toba from Samosir Island, Sumatra, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Thatched cottages and rice paddy fields with misty mountains behind, Mai Chau, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rice paddy fields at sunser, near Ranomafana, Haute Matsiatra Region, Madagascar, Africa

Paddy rice field landscape in the Madagascar Central Highlands near Ambohimahasoa, Haute Matsiatra Region, Madagascar, Africa

View of a Balinese wearing a typical conical hat working in the paddy fields, Sidemen, Kabupaten Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia, South East Asia, Asia

Mixed paddy fields growing vegetables under the highly efficient Jhum system of slash and burn and varied crops, Nagaland, India, Asia

Rice paddy fields on RN7 (Route Nationale 7) near Ambatolampy in the Central Highlands, Madagascar, Africa

Terraced rice paddy and vegetables growing on the fertile sloping hills of central Java, Surakarta district, Java, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rice paddy fields landscape at sunset, near Ranomafana, Haute Matsiatra Region, Madagascar, Africa

Farmer leaving tiny shack in rice paddy fields laid in shallow terraces, Surakarta district, Solo river valley, Java, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Women planting rice in the paddy in the undulating rural countryside near Desia Koraput, Odisha, India, Asia

Sri Lanka landscape at sunrise, paddy fields near Dambulla, Central Province, Sri Lanka, Asia

Two women working, digging over terraced rice paddy fields after rice harvest, Ukhrul district, Manipur, India, Asia

Rice paddy field worker farming near Andasibe, Madagascar, Africa

Longsheng terraced ricefields in June, Guangxi Province, China, Asia

Silhouette of an Asian woman planting rice seedlings in a paddy field, agriculture, Hoi An, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rice paddy fields in the highlands in Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rice paddy field scenery near Antananarivo, Antananarivo Province, Eastern Madagascar, Africa

Rice paddy fields, Ganeshpahar village, Brahmaputra, Assam, India, Asia

Rice paddy fields, Kaziranga district, Assam, India, Asia

Rice paddy field scenery near Antananarivo, Antananarivo Province, Eastern Madagascar, Africa

Rice terraces on eastern shore of crater lake, Lake Maninjau, West Sumatra, Sumatra, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Minangkabau Paddy Fields, Bukittingi, Sumatra, Indonesia

Myanmar (burma) rice paddy fields on the irrawady river near sagaing

Rice paddy fields on RN7 (Route Nationale 7) near Ambatolampy in the Central Highlands of Madagascar, Africa

Rice growing, china. Yunnan province. Female farmer working in a paddy field

Lady in rice paddy fields on RN7 (Route Nationale 7) near Ambatolampy in the Central Highlands, Madagascar, Africa

Men on the banks of the River Hugli (River Hooghly) after early morning puja, near village ricefields and banana paddy fields, rural West Bengal, India, Asia

Myanmar (burma) watering rice paddies near amarapura on the irrawady river

Rice harvest, china. Yunnan province. Harvesting rice in the paddy firelds

Rice paddy fields in the highlands in Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rice paddy fields in the highlands in Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rice paddy fields, Lang Co, Vietnam

Women planting out rice in paddy fields near Lang Co in Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rural scene, rice cultivation, Amarapura, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Rice paddy fields, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rice paddy fields and agricultural workers, Karnataka, India, Asia

Farmer moving rice by bicycle for transplantation at paddy fields near Pangandaran, West Java, Java, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Waterways and paddy fields, Kashmir, India, Asia

A man working in the paddy fields near Kandy, Sri Lanka

Rice crops growing in rice paddy fields in Sri Lanka

Woman working in paddy fields near Kengtung (Kyaingtong), Shan State, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Cambodian girls in a rice paddy field, Kompong Cham, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Farmers harvest and thresh by hand in rice paddy fields, Antananarivo, Madagascar, Africa

Farmer at work in rice paddy field, Madagascar, Africa

Rice paddy field worker from the Lahu tribe planting rice in rice paddies near Chiang Rai, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Paddy's Markets, Haymarket, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Pacific

Portrait of a farmer burning crops in rice paddy fields, Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Two women riding past paddy fields on a motorbike, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Portrait of a farmer burning crops in rice paddy fields, Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Threshing freshly harvested rice in a small terraced paddy field near Oita, Kyushu, Japan, Asia

Farmer and the rice crop, Kerobokan, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Women planting rice in paddy field, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Line of women planting rice in flooded paddy fields on Wando Island, Korea, Asia

A woman transplanting rice in a paddy field on the Hualien plains in Taiwan, Asia

Barrels outside Paddy Mac's Pub, Tralee, County Kerry, Munster, Republic of Ireland, Europe

Farmers working in a rice paddy field, Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Aerial view of the eastern region of the island of Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Farmer burning crops in rice paddy fields, Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Paddy fields at Tuk Tuk on Samosir Island in Lake Toba, largest lake in Southeast Asia, Sumatra, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Terraced rice fields, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

A man working in the paddy fields near Kandy, Sri Lanka

Farmers planting rice, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Flooded Long Ji rice terraces at Longsheng, near Guilin, China

Spectacular amphitheatre of rice terraces around the mountain province village of Batad, northern area of the island of Luzon, Philippines, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rice paddy fields in centre of the island, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Akha ladies working in rice paddy near Wan Sai Village (Aku tribe), Kengtung (Kyaing Tong), Shan State, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Paddy fields at Tuk Tuk, Samosir Island, lake Toba, Sumatra, Southeast Asia, Asia

Woman planting rice, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Farmers planting rice, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Ploughing paddy fields, Toraja area, Sulawesi, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Farms and rice paddies, Shuicheng, Guizhou, China, Asia

Rice paddy fields, Moni, island of Flores, Indonesia, Asia

Golo Cador rice paddies near Ruteng, Flores island, Indonesia.

Lush landscape and verdant rice paddy plantations bordering the Marojejy National Park in northeast Madagascar, Madagascar, Africa

Cambodia buddhist monk walking along paddy field

Rice fields, Taitung, Taiwan, Republic of China, Asia

Lush landscape and verdant rice paddy plantations bordering the Marojejy National Park in northeast Madagascar, Madagascar, Africa

Rice paddy fields, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

A Snowy Sheathbill, Chionis albus, in a King Penguin colony at Gold Harbour, South Georgia.

Lush landscape and verdant rice paddy plantations bordering the Marojejy National Park in northeast Madagascar, Madagascar, Africa

CAMBODIA HIV+ couple making handicrafts. Toul Sambo village is a resettlement area outside of Phnom Penh. Set in rural tranquility surrounded by paddy fields, it is a peaceful place for its residents. A Caritas Cambodia project, it has two focus groups who live there. One group is largely HIV+ and used to reside in a Phnom Penh slum called Borey Kila, until they were evicted by the government who wanted to develop the land for offices and shopping malls. The other group consists of those made homeless when a river's bank subsided in their village, destroying their homes. At the home of Kea Nimal and Kem Sokhorn, both HIV+. They are very industrious working at home making paper bags and ornaments, some with recyclable materials. They can earn $12-$15 per 5-day working week, and live quite comfortably in their attractive home with TV, motor-cycle and other conveniences. They say they are much better off than in the crowded and unhealth slum of Borey Kila in Phnom Penh where they used to live. They get regular orders for the handicrafts they make. They stay healthy by taking ARVs, which are supplied free of charge by the Hope Organization. PHOTO by Sean Sprague

Vietnam children of ninh binh

Vietnam planting rice in ninh binh province

Farmer and buffalo in paddy field, Vietnam, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

Vietnam planting rice in ninh binh province

Indonesia irawati, a woman farmer weeding her rice field in blang situngkoh, pulo aceh, aceh. this will be the first rice harvest since the tsunami. 2 years after the tsunami

Vietnam planting rice in ninh binh province

Cambodia buddhist monks walking along paddy field, kampong cham

Paddy's bar sign, Glenties village, County Donegal, Ulster, Republic of Ireland, Europe

Akha ladies working in rice paddy near Wan Sai village (Aku tribe), Kengtung (Kyaing Tong), Shan State, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

In the rice terraces of Kintamani, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

In the rice terraces of Kintamani, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rice drying and rice paddy fields, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Electical dynamo in rice paddy, Gunung Halimun National Park, West Java, Indonesia