Wheat is a grass that is cultivated worldwide. Globally, it is the most important human food grain and ranks second in total production as a cereal crop behind maize; the third being rice. Wheat grain is a staple food used to make flour for breads, cookies, cakes, pasta, noodles and couscous; and for fermentation to make beer, alcohol, or biofuel. Wheat is planted to a limited extent as a forage crop for livestock and the straw can be used as fodder for livestock or as a construction material for roofing thatch.