If he's talking in the sense of food, that can be justified upto a point, like people may not get anything they desire on there finger tips, but considering the post, for being populated for so long, it gives us little idea about the environment around, and considering Indian culture, still more than 50% population is vegitarian, no meat or even right now those who do, are in no comparison with other people. So, there diet may have consisted most farm products. And when you go back to Indus valley Civilization, it's said to be the one of the most advance civilization of that time, and it's locations is around some of most fertile lands in the world. I can't speak for China about there culture and discoveries, but Just to say that, they have little yield compared to now, still they had less population to feed and more fertile land and literally way better earth for it.