"Ha! Well, let's fucking hope we don't have to resort to that to make the pitch more attractive."

Emery is thinking of killing people in terms of the famine -- that is, as a food source. He doesn't anticipate that things will get that dire, but some instinct not to make things worse by speaking the possibility aloud keeps him from elaborating.

"But you see what I'm thinking of, yes? Ways that the rest of the community can help those who produce the food we all need."