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

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

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

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

Planting out rice, Sri Lanka, Asia

A farmer walking through lush rice terraces on Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

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

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

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

Planting rice, Mysore, India, Asia

Local woman working in the rice paddies, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Harvesteing rice, South Guizhou, China, Asia

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

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

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

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

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

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

Workers in the rice fields near Madurai, Tamil Nadu state, India, Asia

Workers in the rice fields near Madurai, Tamil Nadu state, India, Asia

Young rice paddies in terraces in evening sun near village of Poattap Poap, Shan State, Myanmar (Burma), Asia

Rice terraces in Shuimann, Wuzhishan district, Hainan Province, China, Asia

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

Female farmers transplanting rice shoots into rice paddies, Paro Valley, Bhutan, Asia

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

Planting rice, Kerala state, India, Asia

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

Rice Planting, Vientiane, Laos, Indochina, Southeast Asia, Asia

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

Reflections in water of rice paddies, Amed village, island of Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

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

Rice planting, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rice paddies, lakes and limestone pinnacles in the Stone Forest area of Lunan in Yunnan Province, China, Asia

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

Rice terraces, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

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

Agricultural landscape with people working in rice paddies, Toraja area, island of Sulawesi, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rice terraces, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

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

Rice terraces, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Workers in the rice fields near Madurai, Tamil Nadu state, India, Asia

Rice planting, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rice terraces, Bhutan, Asia

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

Rice paddies in a rural landscape at Moni, Flores, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

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

Cambodia buddhist monk walking along paddy field

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

Jatiluwih rice terrace paddies in Bali, Indonesia.

Sawah sarang laba-laba (spider web rice paddies) near Ruteng on Flores island, Indonesia.

Sawah sarang laba-laba (spider web rice paddies) near Ruteng on Flores island, Indonesia.

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

Jatiluwih rice terrace paddies in Bali, Indonesia.

Sawah sarang laba-laba (spider web rice paddies) near Ruteng on Flores island, Indonesia.

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

Terraced rice paddies near the town of Ruteng on the island of Flores in Indonesia.

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

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

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

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

Landscape with rice paddies and assorted crops approximately 20 kms north of Antananarivo, Madagascar, Africa

Vietnam planting rice in ninh binh province

Vietnam children of ninh binh

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

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

Rice paddies and tropical landscape along the Sambava-Andapa road near Marojejy National park, Antsiranana province of northeast Madagascar, Madagascar, Africa

Cambodia buddhist monks walking along paddy field, kampong cham

In the rice terrace fields of Penglipuran, Gunung Kawi, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rice paddies and surrounding landscape on the outskirts of the town of Ambositra in south-central Madagascar, Madagascar, Africa

Rice paddies along the road from Sambava to Andapa and Marojejy National Park, Antsiranana province of northeast Madagascar, Madagascar, Africa

In the rice terrace fields of Penglipuran, Gunung Kawi, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Rice paddies being cultivated on the outskirts of Antananarivo, Madagascar, Africa

Vietnam planting rice in ninh binh province

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

Boy fishing in the rice terrace fields of Penglipuran, Gunung Kawi, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Houses and rice paddies in the town of Ambositra in south-central Madagascar, Madagascar, Africa

Landscape of rice paddies in the environs of Andringitra National Park in southern Madagascar, Madagascar, Africa

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

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

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

Looking down from the air onto rice paddies in the Shire Valley, Malawi, Africa.

Landscape of rice paddies in the environs of Andringitra National Park in southern Madagascar, Madagascar, Africa

Fields of rice, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Landscape of rice paddies in the environs of Andringitra National Park in southern Madagascar, Madagascar, Africa

Rice paddies along the East Coast Road on the outskirts of Pondicherry in India

Fields of rice, Bali, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

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

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

Rice growing in paddy fields in the Coto Donana, Andalucia, Spain, Europe

Chinese boy standing in rice paddy fields

Rice paddy hills in remote landscape

Rice paddy hills under sunbeams

A young Chinese girl wearing a princess dress helps her father plant rice in a rice paddy in China.

A farmer plows a flooded rice paddy with a water buffalo in China.

Farmers plant rice in a flooded rice paddy in China.

A farmer plows a flooded rice paddy with a water buffalo in China.