So let me get this straight...

We restrict all commercial agricultural exports and imports, demand that farmers support local cities and populations (and vice versa) and thereby eradicate trucking/shipping costs and oil consumption. People eat healthier, more local, etc.

Excess agricultural products are purchased by the government using monetary aid funds and money currenty given to farmers as subsidies and then shipped to third world countries where they are given directly to starving people for free.

Eventually specialty items are re-introduced as imports, when American farmers demonstrate that they cannot or do not want to produce those products.

This would fix the following problems:

(1) import products driving American farmers out of business

(2) farmers' lives being ruined by unpredictable fluctuations in the markets of countries on the other side of the world

(3) other countries peoples being ruined by import of American surplus

(4) money wasted in the form of subsidies

Obviously cost of food would initially rise. However, farming could become more decentralized, reversing trends in the last eighty years. Food could become less processed before entering the home, which could regain its status as a center of production as well as a center of consumption. Less prepared foods and more work done in the home has significant advantages across the board.

What else?

This prompted by an article in the paper (L.A. Times?) about Honduran and American (Sacramento) farmers both suffering. Dec. 4th paper, I believe.