I agree with the statement that the biodomes would be used (primarily) for the station's inhabitants. For the zoners, a group of people living on the fringes of space away from the 'core' house traffic, it would be much more affordable as a long-term (zoner) investment to build biodomes than constantly pay high transportation costs of food imports. The zoners, by nature, would prefer to be "self-sufficient" and not 'rely' upon 'core' food. Although I'm sure as a business move they would still import food from the core to sell to those with less 'legal entitlement' to food.
On a side thought, isn't the Corsairs -predisposition- towards intense piracy a -result- of their lack of self-sufficiency? (Crete's barrenness) It would be assumed that the primary cargo-targets for Corsairs would be goods they need the most, like food or un-available (on Crete) consumer goods. If they were not already successful at pirating food, etc in the first place, they wouldn't have lasted so long.
As to FPXV being the "primary exporter of in the omicrons". That's not really say -much.- There isn't alot of food being grown in the omicrons, anywhere. an analogy would be living on a street where no house has a fence around it, except one or two, and saying "those are biggest fences around", even if, say, they were only 6 inch tall fences.
As previously mentioned, the Corsairs don't have alot of 'legal' access to food other than freeports because of their hostile status to most planets where food is provided. The zoners, especially in the omicrons, are the most reasonable alternative as business go-betweens as they are -only ones around-.
I don't think it's reasonable to assume any of the following:
1) That the combined biodomes of FP9 and FPXV are sufficient to support the -entire- corsair population.
2) That the Corsairs, by virtue of available domestic-agricultural resources(Crete), are inept at acquiring goods through piracy.
3) That the Zoners don't import food from others to sell to those without entitlement to food.
4) That the zoners, who by nature are independent, would choose not to be self-sufficient. (not have biodomes on freeports)
5) That the corsairs have many (local or easily accessible) ways to genuinely 'purchase' food in a market-place AND/OR Bulk-shipment fashion from anyone other than Zoners (or perhaps Junkers?)
Oh, and the Synthfoods things. Using conglomerate a Real Life food company analogy. Monsanto corporation has introduced genetically modified foods that -will not- grow without specialized Monsanto-sold chemical fertilizer inputs, or genetically modified foods that do not produce seeds to require the seed buyer to have to re-acquire seeds each year.
It is safe to say, that that Synthfoods, as a wise business decision, would choose to input some propetiary "control" mechanicisms on the distrubution of sensitive 'AGRI-Industry' technologies. Such as Biodomes or the plants that will grow in a Biodome.
