Final answer:
In non-industrial societies, women are principally responsible for producing and collecting the majority of food in terms of bulk and calories, making the statement true. Their substantial role in gathering plants and small animals is a significant part of the diet in these societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that in non-industrial societies, women produce and collect most of the food consumed is true. In gatherer-hunter societies, there is a sexual division of labor, where often men do most of the hunting, and both women and men gather, but primarily women bring home the majority of gathered foods. This gathering contributes significantly to the diets of these societies. Women's work in gathering is not only about picking fruits but also digging up edible roots, and this labor is essential for supplying the bulk of calories to the diet in these communities.
In many of these societies, women spend considerable time in small groups gathering plant-based food, which is integral to their subsistence. This maintains a level of relative equality between genders, as women's contribution to the food supply is substantial. Meat may be valued for its protein content, but it does not constitute the majority of food consumed in terms of bulk and calories in many of these societies.
Gathering, which is largely done by women, plays a critical role in the sustenance of the society. Also, during the Paleolithic era, women likely contributed significantly to the creation of tools associated with gathering and the knowledge of the environment, further dispelling the assumption of male dominance based on the "man the hunter" hypothesis.