How our diets have changed in the last 22 years
The world's diet consists of vastly more meat, dairy, and sugar than it did two decades ago. It also consists of much less grain.
The table below comes from Bank of America Merrill Lynch's recent report on agriculture and food trends. It seems to reflect a world with much more dietary choice than it had two decades ago. It's undoubtedly good news for nutrition around the world (despite the uptick in sugar and alcohol consumption).
BAML analyst Sarbjit Nahal thinks global meat demand is going to continue growing at a 2% annual clip for the next eight years.
If these trends continue, however, we can expect there to be a strain on resources. It takes much more to raise cattle than it does to raise grains. Indeed, it actually takes a lot more grain to feed a cow than it does to feed a human.