As countries develop and living standards rise not only does the demand for steel increase, but so does the demand for higher-quality food, and consumption of protein increases. Again, the comparison of China and India is instructive (Graph 7).
As income per head in China has grown over the past 30 years, protein consumption per head has also risen strongly, almost doubling over this period. Protein consumption has also risen in India, although the increases have been much smaller due to slower growth in income per head and differences in dietary preferences.