Hey = very good piece and you’re right on. I like your use of the “emergent properties” which comes from systems theory. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to use systems theory (or systems thinking) to approach the food system and came to the same conclusion that you did — reduced hunger is an emergent property of the food system. But it’s not the “function” of a food system — rather it’s a positive outcome that is not in any way necessary or certain. The “function” of the food system is to satisfy market demand for food stuff. And the sad truth is that meeting that demand doesn’t guarantee good health (in fact, another emergent property of the expanding food system is growing obesity). And for people who are too poor to signify market demand, the food system doesn’t help them. Anyway — you’re so right about the logical elision of farms/farmers/agriculture with “feeding the world.” There are so many other contributing factors, variables, and system actors — farmers and farming is arguably one of less important.