So, the Meklar are a synthetic, cybernetic race. Right? So...

[ForgetNothing]

1. Why is food production even a thing at all, even reduced?
2. Why would pollution be a problem?
3. Why do they need to research Electronics?

[Birdie_Sparrow]

Per lore, which is alluded to in the short story on the Meklar, they do have a biological component. Not all of them but a lot do and the biological component does require some sort of food. This is a tightly guarded Meklar secret in the lore that has been developed. The Meklar used to be very weak biological beings who created mechanical bodies to aid them. Over time they made the bodies more advanced, added in computational power, and so on. At some point the Meklar become concious and overthrew their masters by basically no longer taking commands from them. Over time the original race became nothing more then a biological interface with the intelligence of a flatworm.

However, the beings continued to act as a biological interface for electical pathways. The Meklar are terrified of upsetting a technology that has worked for millenia. They are unsure what would occur if the biological component was fully removed. As such they continue to breed clones of the old race to replace worn out bio units. That is why they need food.

Pollution can still be a problem just like here on earth. Acid rain, chemicals in the air, and so on can all degrade, erode and damage metal, circuits, and so on. Pollution may also affect the biologicals in the Meklars that have them.

Electronics could have been named something else I suppose. However, they do get Physics which is a leg up to Electronics. It is a game balance and semantics question. :)

[Constable]

1.0 MoO2 Saw the Meklar as a Cybernetic in practice - A Biologic entinty that coexists in harmony with an integrated artifical component. It is likely carrying that over to here. Just look at the food that is consumed as an abstraction for the Material (Food and other products) needed to maintain the Meklar.

2.0 Pollution is more than just smog. It is the unusable waste material produced as a result of heavy industry. Additionally, in the manner it is used, it is a milestone to designate the current status of the planets atmosphere/biome/etc. A Terran planet has a delicate Biome to maintain whereas a Desert might not. Thus, if a player wishes to have a planet be used for production, he/she could intentionally pollution and degrade the planet to less hospitable class of planet. That is strategy when considering planets for Uber Biome terraforming.

3.0 Ha Ha :)

[Sabin Stargem]

Just because something is using mechanical and electronic components, doesn't mean that no biological resources aren't needed. For example: Oils, lubricants, coolants, plastics, rubber, synthetic skin, and so forth. Further, biological materials would be useful in terraforming and trade. Whatever the reasons, a cybernetic society can't become truly free of biological resources.

[ForgetNothing]

Yeah, but the implication is that the food is what perpetuates their growth and multiplying. Factories and other production improvements should be the buildings that increase growth in Meklar colonies.