Indeed, the inhabitants of Rapa Nui were well fed. I remember a archaeology paper that compared their nutrition with other pacific islands. The people of Easter

Indeed, the inhabitants of Rapa Nui were well fed. I remember a archaeology paper that compared their nutrition with other pacific islands. The people of Easter Island were among the best fed peoples. IIRC, the women of Rapa Nui were only at the average level, but this was a social problem. The lack of trees did not impede the food availability. Here is the conclusion of a recent (2017) study of their diet: "Our results point to concerted efforts to manipulate agricultural soils, and suggest the prehistoric Rapa Nui population had extensive knowledge of how to overcome poor soil fertility, improve environmental conditions, and create a sustainable food supply. These activities demonstrate considerable adaptation and resilience to environmental challenges ‐ a finding that is inconsistent with an “ecocide” narrative." From https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5637906/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5637906/