208 CONSUMPTION 



supplies of fish are obtained from the great rivers, 1 and poultry 

 produce is abundant ; 2 while in the Scandinavian countries sea 

 fish are probably more extensively consumed per head of the 

 population than in any other considerable region of the world except 

 Japan. 



The position with regard to the per capita rates of meat con- 

 sumption, as described above, cannot be regarded as fixed in the 

 different areas considered. Changes may take place rapidly in 

 the near future owing partty to the disentegrating effect? of the 

 present war. It is interesting to note that the tendencies are 

 towards higher standards of living for the masses of the popula- 

 tions on the whole, and this would foieshadow an increase in the 

 general rate of meat consumption, apart from any increase in the 

 populations themselves. It has been already shown in Part I., 

 above, that the world's supplies of meat are at the present time 

 limited as to their rate of expansion ; large and rapid increases in 

 these supplies would be forthcoming only at a considerably en- 

 hanced price ; and this price increase would necessarily affect other 

 articles of agricultural production as well. In the last resort a 

 largely increased consumption of meat in any populous area or 

 throughout the civilised world seems to depend now, as already 

 shown, upon the use of more efficient and cheaper methods of 

 production, affecting either agriculture or manufacturing industries 

 or both. 3 



(b) DAIRY PRODUCTS. 



The butter consumption of the world has advanced with the 

 growth of population and prosperity, but the pressure of demand 

 upon supply has not been felt to the same extent as in the case of 

 meat. The production of butter has been more elastic than that 

 of meat, 4 the transportation of the finished article is cheaper in 

 proportion to value, and substitutes have been more readily found. 



From the general point of view any reduction in the meat 

 consumption of a given population tends to increase its consumption 

 of butter and butter substitutes owing to the consequent increase 

 in the consumption of bread with which some form of fat, generally 

 butter, among European peoples, is customarily used. 5 It is 



1 The output of the Russian fisheries in 1911 has been estimated as over 

 708,300 tons, nearly all of which was fresh-water fish. Journal Royal Stat. 

 Soc., March, 1917, p. 198. 



2 See Part I., Chap, iv., p. 86. 



8 This question is discussed in detail in Chap, iv, below, pp. 239-243. 



4 The total exports of butter from surplus countries in 1911 were 719-6 

 million Ibs., while the corresponding total averaged 610 millions for the years 

 1902-6. This makes an average increase of about 2% per annum for the 

 years 1904-11, which should be compared with the corresponding increase of 

 about 1% in the total meat supplies exports. See p. 104, note 1. 



6 A decline in the meat consumption would imply also a decline in quantities 

 of animal fats available, and would tend to cause an increase in the consumption 

 of other forms of edible fats. 





