RELATION TO OTHER ARTICLES OF DIET 229 



Among the poorer classes of Northern European populations whole- 

 meal bread was formerly the principal article of food, meat being 

 rarely consumed by them. This is the case at the present day 

 among the labourers of Central and Eastern Europe. In other 

 parts oi the world at the present time, peas and beans, which are 

 rich in protein, are used, together with vegetable oils, as a substitute 

 for meat ; this occurs particularly in Eastern Asia and Medi- 

 terranean Europe, where the agricultural resources are small in 

 proportion to the population and where also the standard of living 

 is generally low. 



It may be premised that the meat-consuming populations of the 

 world are unlikely to lower their standards of living in the near 

 future, except in the event of a severe world-shortage of foodstuffs, 

 which would probably be temporary only. It does not, therefore, 

 appear that the solution of the difficulties arising from any moderate 

 shortage will lie in the direction of an extensive substitution of 

 coarser plant foodstuffs containing protein, in place of meat. 1 

 Something, ho\\ever, may be done in this direction on a moderate 

 scale, especially through improvements in the manufacture and 

 preparation of plant foodstuffs rich in protein, so as to render them 

 more digestible, palatable and varied in form. 2 Something may 

 also be done by reducing the waste in consumption. 3 Though these 

 developments may be of great temporary value, the principle main- 

 tained throughout this enquiry is that the solution of the present 

 and future shortage difficulties in the matter of meat (i.e., protein) 



1 This is theoretically possible in the newer countries where the meat con- 

 sumption per capita is high, and where the average person consumes more 

 protein than is strictly necessary ; but the economic organisation of the 

 world is not such that each country is allotted a share of the different com- 

 modities according to population and requirements, but rather that the 

 greatest share goes where there is the highest purchasing power. However, 

 the recently instituted rationing systems in European countries seem to show 

 that some populations can maintain health and efficiency, for a time at least, 

 on a smaller per capita consumption of animal foodstuffs than has previously 

 been the case, provided distribution is equal. 



2 Developments in this direction are likely to make great progress in the 

 near future in those parts of the world populated by Europeans. A lead 

 has been given by the United States where there have been large increases 

 in the per capita, consumption of foods other than meat during the last twenty- 

 five years, especially of wheat, vegetables and fruits, eggs and poultry and 

 sugar. (U.S. Dept. Agric., Bureau of Statistics, Bulletin 55, p. 83). The 

 same authoiity goes on to state that when the pressure of expenditure comes, 

 it is found that more protein and energy values can be obtained- for the same 

 cost in other forms such as sugar, rolled oats, wheat-flour, maize and potatoes. 

 The centralisation of produce markets and of milling and other manufacturing 

 processes connected with foodstuffs, the improvements in the plant and tech- 

 nical methods employed, all assist in making properly elaborated plant 

 foodstuffs available in increasing quantities and variety. The result is a 

 more complete utilisation of the resources of the vegetable kingdom directly 

 as human food ; the standard of living can be maintained with a somewhat 

 smaller dependence upon animal foodstuffs. 



8 See below, Chap, iv., pp. 246-9. 



