[adrianN]

A major problem with our relentless optimization of food production is that we don't price in the externalities, like large scale destruction of ecosystems or the exploitation of workers. Few people argue that we should go back to pre-modern agriculture (billions would starve!), but I think it's fairly obvious that our current system is not optimizing a good cost function.

[dragontamer]

That's why they're called externalities. Laissez Faire capitalism cannot handle externalities.

Regulation and laws that run counter to pure capitalism are needed. I'm not talking about going 100% communist here, but anti-trust laws, cap-and-trade, taxes, and other such regulations can help factor the externality problem into an otherwise capitalist marketplace.