Really interesting story, even if I don't agree completely with your conclusion, thanks for posting :)
I find myself questioning the assertion that nothing comes for free. I think that is a human construction used to "force" trades. Nothing wrong with trading, but why should it always always involve expectation of something received, for something given, other than just unfounded belief because maybe someone else said so?
I think this belief leads to a dead end, underlying our ultimately frustrated attempt to extract all energy from Earth, like the question of what drove the production of the first staten, it could simply have been first designed as a token of generosity, to be given for nothing in return, but pretty much always being paid in kind.
Or it could have been created from the free energy of sunlight, converted by some long lost technology into the mysterious "Electrum" material, no labor needed, like we might use modern technology to convert sunlight into "Solein", with no labor needed per calory, but which absolutely is labor waiting to be done, nonetheless.
Morally, if we were producing such food, from the free energy of the sun, and giving it to those needing it most, those demanding it should we expect anything for it in return?