Dreze note that the decline in calorie consumption over the last quarter century could be entirely explained by a modest decrease in the number of people engaged in physically heavy work for a large part of the day.

According to the FAO, the world loses almost half of all root crops, fruits, and vegetables, about a third of all fish, 30 percent of cereals, and a fifth of all oilseeds, meat, and dairy products—or at least one-third of the overall food supply.