Divine Beasts only consumed flesh, fruit, or vegetables that contained Spiritual Energy. While the standards were lower for Combat Species, they were never short on food, either. Thus, ordinary grains and plants were all meant for the lower Tiers. But even so, the Divine Beasts would frequently levy taxes, seizing vast amounts of food and wealth from the lowest class. This was to ensure the lower Tiers could never accumulate significant wealth, become prosperous, or learn skills like trading, resting, or anything else that might free them from their labor.
The existence of the lower Tiers meant working continuously until death... As for actually starving to death? Ha, wasn't that a good thing? You see, these beasts multiplied far too quickly. If they weren't culled by starvation, predation, and war, then powerful Seeds would emerge from even the most unremarkable of Races.
The Beast God Realm did not need powerful lower Tiers, nor did it need any more Divine Beasts.
