Given the fact that one way to limit unhappiness on a planet is to limit the maximumum population by limiting the food produced on this planet, I hope that no food is spend between planet. It would become a hell to keep planet happy with a population growth that can't be controlled.

It would add another strategic element into the game, as you could specificially wipe out the A.I empire's food planets, and thus send the empire into a state of turmoil. So any food planet would require a heavy defence force.

could be a lot of fun tho.

I dunno... even on a small level starvation takes a very long time to work. Look at seige information from history. On a galactic scale seems like any planet that has a real serious food shortage would just (depending on alignment) follow the most expeditious way below to fix the problem.

1) Soylent Green - Best damn cracker I have ever ate. Hey buddy, seen my grandpa?

2) Todays lottery winners are Alice, Amber, Ashley.... (all females with names starting with A). The govt there determined that if you get rid of some "breeders" really quick the number of mouths to feed in a few years would drop dramatically.

3) My ambassador tells me that you have an abundance of grain and are neutrally aligned with the facist pigs who have invaded and ruined the paradise of planet Vorlon. We are interested in trading an improved mirroring system that may help you with controlling your beam weapons a bit more. Of it it may interest you we have developed a smaller flux capacitor that will decrease the size or your warp engines by as much as 5.67%.

4) Hey dude, yeah you fish head... I will give you some air to air stinger missiles if you send some guava over here in the fake hull of your medical ships.

5) I have the manufacturing capability and the energy resources you need to make your new Cylon Base Star Raiders.... you have no need for organic food but have plenty of places we need to grow on.

Some of the above are still practiced today.... makes ya go hummmm.

W/R
Suralle