Rice

The earliest record of The Krus Tribe places them at the furthest south western point of Liberia almost 2000 years ago. They have a traditional expression that translates, "If I did not have rice, I did not eat," and this sentiment is shared throughout Liberia. Besides the loss of an important food staple, Liberians face losing an important part of their cultural heritage. A 100 pound bag of rice costs $30US to $40US depending on the quality. Lower qualities are higher in starch. President Ellen (as she is called here) has promised to remove the $2US/100#'s to provide some relief. (80% of Liberians are living on less than $1US/day, and 100# of rice feeds a family of 4-6 for about 1 month.) The price has forced the choice of spaghetti and other pastas over rice. Their diet is already low in protein and high in carbohydrates, while diabetes and heart disease are prevalent and largely go undiagnosed and untreated. This fertile coastal land once produced enough quality rice for its population. Called the "Grain Coast", a pepper grain was first traded by the Portuguese. In recent years the country has relied on most of its supply from China.
With the capacity of the world to grow enough rice and grain, how could this have happened?