The problem with that metaphor is that the Irish largely went hungry because England continued to export food from the island during the famine. The crop failure was because of nature, but the famine was man made.
I've got bad news for you if you think our current crop of politicians and businessmen are going to pick lives over profits in an analogous situation.
I am absolutely too cynical to believe that, trust me. But I think we absolutely should be honest with ourselves and admit that any famine is really because our leaders valued profits over lives, rather than pinning the blame on fertilizer prices.