Java, Indonesia, 1951 - Indonesia, with its huge population, is one of the most highly cultivated countries in the world and even the hillsides are terraced for growing rice which is the staple food of the country. Largely through its own efforts, but with help from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and From the International Rice Commission, Indonesia has enormously improved rice yields in the past few years. Photograph of rice terraces and watering systems.