...you've already got to be screwed before it matters. And if it did matter, then it would become overpowering.
This, I think, is the fundamental problem with food in general. There are really only three possible situations for it: Either you have plenty, you're starving (and thus dying), or you're balanced on the knife-edge in the middle constantly stressing out about it.
I have some ideas that should change that—the core of them being that regions that are capable of producing a surplus will never, themselves, be starving except in times of famine and immediately after a vicious looting raid.
But I think it may need more refinement before it's ready to be implemented, and in any case, it'll have to wait until after the rest of the WIP is finished, which will be a while yet.
However, De-Legro's suggestion of location-independent food transfers gave me an interesting idea for a different kind of change to the way food is handled, which I will present here for critique:
1) Lords can set up buy and sell offers for regions at any time, wherever they are—they don't have to be at a market. Bankers, similarly, can order food bought and sold to and from anywhere within their jurisdiction and range without being at a market.
2)
But in order for
any region's offers to be
visible, it needs a market. (Markets can be made less expensive if need be to ensure no one has trouble constructing them, and other steps can be taken to ensure the transition
to this system will be smooth.)
3) Markets can be
disabled by sufficient damage from reaving enemy troops (using the Demolish option).
4) Traders can make deals with regions without markets, as long as they are present in the region. In other words, if your region has no market, but has a buy offer set up for 1000 bushels, and there's at least 1000 bushels for sale nearby, you just need a Trader to be in your region to be able to get your region fed.
...And I think I'll probably also make it possible to set up buy offers that draw from tax money, which would work for offers the Lord sets up while not present and automatic buy offers.
This would remove the requirement for Lords to stay in their regions, while keeping food as being something of a strategic resource.