An increasing realization of the low efficiency of animals as protein producers, in comparison with plants, has stimulated a new awareness of the need for developing our plant protein resources. According to recent statistics, the world's population consumes about 70 million tons of protein annually. Of these, 35 million tons come from cereals, 25 million tons come from animals and 10 million tons from legumes. To produce the 25 million tons of animal protein, however, 135 million tons of plant protein must be fed to the animals. Seeds have, historically, served as the major source of plant proteins. To cover the existing protein shortage in the world today, novel sources of plant protein are being investigated. One such source, which already has a modest commercial utilization in California, consists of the leaves and stems of suitable plants.

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