If you do not have a good family setup with someone to provide the bankers with resources and food, then it would really depend on what the income is, as well as what the price of food on the market is.
You can place orders to purchase at set prices, depending on your income.
It would make sense to starve your population temporarily, instead of paying 0.49gc / food.
then starvation over short/medium periods would not be ideal, but may be done to get by until cheaper means of obtaining food can be acquired.
If you are counting on LQ/TO for income, population is your vital income producer, and as such should not be forgotten.
If you use TO/CF for income, then the population should be easy enough to feed, and if starvation happens, your income is still reduced by half.
I really don't see how anyone can gain from starving their people, especially when no matter the income option chosen is impacted by such an occurrence.
Some people are only alive because it is illegal to shoot them.